The Silence
by beeftony
Summary: KiGo Shego helps Kim to solve a murder case, but they soon find themselves attracted to each other. They try to hold on to their relationship, but forces far greater than themselves conspire to tear them apart. ABANDONED
1. Hello, Clarise

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_**KiGo Warning**: I figured that if I was going to call myself a KiGo supporter, I may as well write one. Don't worry; a majority of my work will still be K/R. This is honestly just an experiment to see if I can write KiGo._

**The Silence**

**Chapter One**  
Hello, Clarise

Footsteps echoed in the empty hall. Fluorescent lights hummed ominously as they flickered on and off. Desperate screams of the damned reached the ears of the only person in the hall. All eyes were focused on her. Murderers, rapists and serial killers watched her with hungry eyes, longing for a chance to skin her alive and feast on her blood. Cat calls, psychotic ranting, violent threats and maniacal laughter all combined in the concrete hall to create a cacophony that overwhelmed the senses.

The woman was unmoved, however. She was here on a mission. Keeping her pace constant and her vision straight ahead, she soon reached the end of the hall and opened the door, stepping inside the office of the Director of the Middleton Institute for the Criminally Insane. The man looked up from his desk long enough to acknowledge her entrance.

It was no wonder that the inmates became excited in her presence: she was drop dead gorgeous. At 5'4", 105 pounds, the redhead was a stunner in anything, even the business suit she was wearing that hid most of her skin, but her still hugged tightly against her body's curves. She was wearing red high heels that matched the color of her skirt and jacket, with a black blouse that corresponded to the sheer nylons that cut off somewhere above her knees. One could see the faint outline of a gun slightly above where her legs disappeared into the mid-length crimson skirt. Traveling up further, one could see angular yet ample breasts causing two very attractive bulges in her blouse, which was cut just low enough that one could see a small line of cleavage. And this could not even begin to do justice to her angelic face, which contained emerald orbs blazing like tiny jewels in brilliant contrast to her auburn hair. She closed the door behind her and walked toward the desk in a gait that could only be described as "businesslike." Her face was devoid of expression as she placed a small manila folder on his desk.

"What can I do for you Miss Possible?" the director asked only half-concerned, his eyes never leaving his paperwork.

"Please, call me Kim." the woman insisted.

"Very well, 'Kim,'" the man returned, setting down his pen and picking up the file, opening it to look at its contents.

"Henry Goldstein," Kim began as she did any briefing session. "More commonly known as Hego. Has the ability to lift objects several times his own weight. Founder of Team Go, a team of superheroes that operated out of Go City, more commonly known to the world as Chicago. The team got their powers when a radioactive comet crashed into their back yard and used them to fight crime. Eventually the team disbanded and their powers never again rose to their previous heights. Hego tried his hardest over the years to continue fighting the good fight, but eventually settled down and got an ordinary job with his wife and kids."

"All this I know, 'Kim,'" The director said her name as though it was not her real name at all. "So what is the point of this meeting?"

The redhead flipped the next page of the dossier over to reveal an image that would sicken even the most seasoned of homicide detectives. As a man who had viewed far worse as he ate his dinner, however, the director simply nodded.

"He was murdered last month." Kim spoke up.

"This I know as well," the director replied in his ever-dispassionate voice. "So _why_ are you here?" he asked, demanding that she cut to the chase.

"I understand you are holding one of his relatives," Kim answered in a formal tone. "I have an appointment to see her."

"Ah yes, Miss Go," the director mused. "You are aware of the risks involved in such a visit, aren't you?" the director asked with a smirk.

Kim nodded. "As the world's leading expert on Shego I've been assigned the task of asking her cooperation in the murder investigation."

"Are you sure that's a wise choice?" the man asked.

"Positive." Kim affirmed.

"Then follow me," the director said and the two walked through the door behind his desk.

The hall leading up to Shego's cell was deathly quiet. This was where all the most dangerous criminals went. These individuals had lived with their madness for so long that it had completely consumed them, rendering them shells of once-proud human beings. If you didn't mess with them, they wouldn't mess with you. Shego was slightly different, but the silence was the one common attribute she shared with these broken souls.

There was a good reason why Shego was here. She was not technically insane, but this facility was the only one with the technology to hold her. It was slightly unorthodox, but effective. Once she had been "muzzled," as someone had so cleverly phrased it, she was able to be kept in a normal cell, albeit one with Plexiglas instead of traditional bars to keep the world's most elusive thief from escaping.

Kim and the director observed Shego from a distance. As they approached her cell, she woke up from the nap she had been taking and let out a yawn. A brief thought flashed in Kim's mind that found that yawn strangely out of place for Shego. For one thing, she had covered her mouth. Shego was never that subtle. If she yawned, it was usually a front row seat to the tonsil show. It seemed that a lot had changed about Shego, even the little things.

"Hello, Clarise." Shego joked with a small chuckle. Kim stayed stone-faced. "I see you've retained your wonderful appreciation for humor," the green woman commented sardonically.

Shego and Kim had a… complicated past. Kim stood before the woman who had tried to kill her time and time again without giving the slightest thought as to whether it was right or wrong. But Kim never saw Shego as anything more than a misguided soul, caught up in the wrong crowd. Kim had a tendency to see the good in people, but even she could be wrong sometimes.

"Your old sidekick was always better with the jokes," Shego mentioned, knowing that this would make Kim flinch involuntarily. Indeed Shego saw just the reaction she expected as Kim squeezed her eyes shut and took in a small gasp between clenched teeth before regaining her composure and staring at Shego with a perfect poker face.

"You remember what happened to Ron," Kim grimaced.

"How could I forget?" Shego retorted as she raised her arms and gyrated her body to gesture at the cell around her. "That's what got me in here. Honestly though, I thought you'd have put up more of a fight for your lover."

Kim decided to cut to the chase. "Hego's been murdered and we need your help." she stated briefly and calmly.

"Yeah, I know," Shego replied as she lay back down in her bed, bouncing up ever so slightly as she hit the hard mattress.

"You're taking it well," Kim observed.

"You don't seem too upset about Stoppable's death," Shego countered.

Kim took a small gasp as a thought gripped her mind and insisted that was not the truth. Ron's death had shattered her entire world, and just being in the presence of the woman who killed him inspired thoughts that made Kim think maybe she should check herself into this place. She quickly shook it off. She had a job to do, and she wasn't about to let personal feelings get in the way.

"Global Justice is willing to grant you amnesty in return for your cooperation on this case," Kim continued in an emotionless voice. "You will be placed under my watch and will collaborate with me directly on the case."

Shego raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess," she began, "they picked you, you didn't pick me."

"I was against it, yes," Kim admitted. "But as the future leader of GJ, I cannot allow personal feelings to affect my work. I must remain unbiased."

"Whatever floats your boat," Shego replied. This was not the Kim she had once known. The old Kim would have come here screaming and shouting, stomping her feet on the floor and declaring her unbridled hatred for her. But when Stoppable died, something inside Kim died as well. Shego had herself to blame for that.

"So will you consider our offer?" Kim asked in a robotic voice.

"What can I say, you had me at amnesty." Shego answered.

"Excellent," Kim spoke in a suddenly cheerier voice. "I will be here tomorrow to see you released into my custody. Until then, have a good night's sleep." She turned heel and walked away.

"And a happy new year to you!" Shego called sarcastically before burying her head in her pillow to drown out the sudden shouts of the same phrase from the dozens of insane inmates.

* * *

_Well, for those of you who are still reading this even after the KiGo warning, let me congratulate you for having an open mind. You may notice that this bears a striking resemblance to the oft-lampooned **The Silence of the Lambs**. This was intentional. If it's any consolation for you non-KiGo folks (who are probably not reading this part anyway), I will be staying true to the ending of that movie since in my mind KiGo could only work as an affair. Some will say that I've written myself into a corner here by having Shego kill Ron, but that will factor in to why Kim and Shego's relationship is just a one time thing. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	2. Hard Feelings

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**Chapter Two**  
Hard Feelings

Shego hated prison jumpsuits. They were purposefully designed to be uncomfortable and itchy, which Shego could handle, but they had a psychological effect as well. Shego was always a defiant youth, quitting Team Go for reasons that were never fully specified, but had a lot to do with her need to be herself, which was not something she could do on a team with color-coordinated uniforms. Nor could she do it here. Shego's raging independent spirit was subdued by this orange monster, and she hated it. But it was either that or go completely naked, which Shego would not have minded but for the psychopaths that were now her neighbors.

Shego's old jumpsuit felt far more comfortable to her, not because it was a relaxed fit (it rode up in certain places that were better left unmentioned), but because she had worn it all her life. It was essentially a link to her past, though with a past like Shego's one began to wonder why she didn't just burn the damn thing first chance she got. But Shego liked to be reminded of the life she had left behind, if for no other reason than to remind herself that she was never going back. And she never wanted to go back. Her brothers weren't just annoying: they were manipulative. Shego was often the center of their twisted social machinations and was on the outside of any activity that they were doing for the simple reason that she was a girl. Even Hego, the superhero equivalent of Atticus Finch, held this against her. Then again, Hego had more issues than just that. His idealistic view of the world meant that he was slightly out of touch with reality. He never saw the members of his team not as real people, but as means to his own ends. Not that this was intentional, but for all the people he helped, the one he managed to hurt was Shego.

After she left Team Go, Shego resolved never to let herself get taken advantage of again. Going against everything she was ever taught, Shego drank, had sex with men (and women), and became a professional thief just to stick an extra pin in it. To her, that was the equivalent of sticking her middle finger in Hego's face and saying "Up yours!" She saw herself as more of a mercenary than a criminal, and she never killed. Well, she had killed once, but that was a different story.

Shego and Kim Possible were rivals from day one. When Shego joined with take-over-the-world mad scientist Dr. Drakken, she was basically signing herself up for a lifetime of encounters with the redhead. Not that she necessarily minded. Shego enjoyed the rush of fighting someone who was her equal in every way except morals. The only reason she stayed with Drakken was for the chance to cross paths with Kim. She needed the excitement. She needed to feel challenged. With Kim she felt that. It was something about the way they fed naturally off each other, both physically and mentally. Kim and Shego both had rapier wit and were more than happy to exercise it. Kim was the perfect opponent for Shego. She missed that Kim.

Nowadays Kim had grown quiet and withdrawn, separating her personal life and professional life so completely some people would mistake her for having split-personalities. Shego knew better though. Kim was just burying herself in work and detaching herself to avoid dealing with what happened to her late partner. Shego was to blame for the person Kim had become.

Shego had grown to like Dr. Drakken as a person over their professional relationship, almost to the point that one views a sibling. Watching Drakken and Shego bicker was like watching an old married couple; Drakken would go off on a rant, and Shego would dismiss it with a witty remark, then Drakken would go on to try that idea and fail anyway, and Shego never hesitated to say, "I told you so!" Shego chuckled as she thought of the innumerable times that scene had played out. Good times. If only they'd had more time together, they may have moved beyond simple fondness for one another into true love. But that possibility vanished when he died one day at the hands of his own twisted invention. Shego blamed the sidekick, and by the time she came out of her blind rage Stoppable was dead and his girlfriend sat there weeping.

Shego forced the thought out of her mind. She was actually grateful for the change in Kim's personality to some degree as this meant she wouldn't try to kill her, but some part of her missed the thrill of rising up to the challenge of her rival (wasn't that in a song somewhere?). Still, Princess' new dispassionate attitude meant Shego had the chance to be a free woman. If she cooperated, that is.

Shego was led out of her cell by two armed guards. She didn't really need handcuffs because the devices on her hands, aptly named "muzzles," prevented her from using her glow power that would normally allow her to encapsulate her hands in green plasma. Other people had tried and failed to resist her powers. This device simply disabled them. As she walked through the cacophonous hall, Shego observed the madmen who eyed her hungrily, much as they had done to her guest yesterday. She didn't blame them, though.

Despite her olive-green complexion, Shego was undeniably sexy. Her standard outfit, which she had just reclaimed, amplified her curves to the point that even the biggest of prudes would turn his head and gawk. The green and black latex catsuit left little to the imagination what was underneath, and one could see a faint camel toe and indentations of nipples if they looked hard enough. Her hips swayed sexily as she walked, putting on quite a show for the other inmates as she took what would otherwise have been the walk of shame with her trademark spunk and rebellious attitude.

She was led out the main gate just as a red Ferrari Enzo pulled up. Kim made a good amount of money at her job, and she made damn sure that the world knew it. It served to contrast the withdrawn professionalism required by her position as Assistant Director of Global Justice. As second in command of the agency, Kim needed to remain unbiased and professional. But that didn't mean that she couldn't have a little fun. This car represented the part of her that was still wild, reckless, and driven purely by emotion. Her dress style had a similar effect, stunning onlookers as she somehow managed to make conservative fashion sexy. She wore a black business suit with a red blouse and bare legs, a sharp contrast from the previous day. Red mirrored sunglasses concealed her intense green eyes. She parked the exotic sports car and got out. She calmly strode toward Shego.

"How's it goin' Pumpkin?" Shego said in salutations. Kim decided to skip the pleasantries and got down to business.

"Is the patient ready for release?" She asked the director, who had escorted Shego along with the guards.

The director nodded and undid the "muzzles." Shego stared at her hands as though she hadn't seen them in months (which she hadn't). She could still move them around in the device, so her muscles hadn't atrophied, but seeing her hands for he first time in several months struck the green woman with a sense of awe. She lit and unlit her hands several times and gazed in wonder at her reclaimed power. The guards were about to move in, but the director signaled for them to stand down. She was no longer their problem.

"Hop in," Kim ordered, and Shego complied. Was she really going to pass up the chance to get in the passenger seat of a Ferrari Enzo? She slid into one of the deep bucket seats and let out a contented sigh as she sunk into the soft leather. Kim started the car and took off in a massive burnout.

For all her subdued mannerisms since Ron's death, the one thing that hadn't changed about Kim was her driving. She was absolutely reckless; cutting people off, flipping them the bird, and basically providing a picture-perfect example of road rage. Her position as second in command of GJ meant that she was able to escape any ticket, so Kim just treated the road like her own personal race track and told the rest of the world to fuck off. It was the one place where she could be in direct control of everything. Everywhere else, she was forced to rein in her emotions, but on the road she let out all her pent-up rage (of which she had plenty). It was a fairly dangerous release, but at least Kim wasn't going around killing people like she sometimes felt like doing.

Shego, who had been involved in many high speed car chases, was unbothered by the furious display. She was actually excited to see that some of the old Kim remained. Maybe there was more of the old Kim left in there, but for now this was all Shego could see of her so she soaked up the adrenaline and was quiet the whole way to Kim's home.

A far cry from the Ranch style house that was her parents' abode, Kim lived in a modern art-deco style penthouse that utilized stainless steel, wood, and pastel colors all put together in abstract patterns to form an eclectic effect. Shego was impressed by the high vaulted ceiling of the penthouse as well as the overall atmosphere of the place that just screamed "I'm rich." Light poured in from giant Cathedral windows which had been updated to contain more contemporary figures, not the least of which was Kim herself. Others included Ron and… Shego.

"Why do you have one of me?" Shego asked curiously, pointing to the window. The images of Kim and Shego seemed to be staring each other down in a duel of souls. Their colors contrasted yet complemented each other: red versus black and green. The first formed a nice contrast to either of the other two, but when all three were combined it formed a breathtaking effect.

"It's a theme I'm going for," Kim answered, setting down a thick pile of folders on the dining room table where the two would be going over evidence. "Opposites." She had purposefully left out the other two words, which were "that attract."

Shego looked around a bit more and saw that this was indeed the case. Several pieces of antiquity contrasted the modernistic look of the penthouse. Wood merged with metal. Stone fountains held running water in a union of two of nature's most basic opposing forces, the rock seeking to block the water's path, and the water finding its own way through, shaping the rock as it forced its way around.

After several minutes spent discussing the decorations, Shego decided now was as good a time as any to ask her question. "Why are you trusting me like this?"

Kim appeared lost in thought for a moment and just stared at the two windows. Eventually she answered, "I'm not. But GJ is and I must respect their wishes."

"Fair enough," Shego said.

"Should we get started?" Kim suggested, motioning toward the dining room table where she had placed the folders.

"I don't see why not," Shego commented as she sat down and Kim handed her a folder.

They went over the evidence for several minutes. As she watched the red-haired woman sort through the folders with extreme efficiency, Shego saw how much Kim truly devoted herself to her work, almost as a means of escaping the past. Why she would choose to investigate a murder with the woman who had murdered Ron was beyond Shego. Even more unbelievable was that Kim seemed able to separate herself completely from the issue, which just unnerved Shego. After taking somebody that important from Princess, Shego expected at least a beating from the fiery redhead. But Kim had shut down inside.

Shego suddenly felt a burning question in the back of her mind. She didn't know why she wanted to ask it. After all, why should she be concerned about Princess' life? But Shego felt that she was to blame for the question even being possible to ask, so she went ahead and asked it.

"Do you still think about him?" she asked suddenly, causing Kim to look up from the stack of papers. Her face was blank.

"Sometimes," she admitted truthfully, somehow managing to remain emotionless. "Not as much recently. I've been to busy with work."

"I noticed," Shego commented, gesturing at the multiple files that lay strewn all over the table. She had yet to look at one, but Kim always did prefer doing everything herself. Shego got the feeling that she was just here as a formality, though why she and Kim were alone together was beyond her comprehension. But it was better than the place she had been confined to for the past several years. They worked for a few more hours and then Kim decided to turn in for the night.

"Where do I sleep?" Shego asked, secretly hoping it was somewhere near Kim, though she had no idea why. Kim motioned toward the couch. "You really trust me that much?" Shego asked. Kim said nothing and produced an ankle bracelet, then put it around the green woman's ankle before she had the chance to object. "I'll take that as a 'no.'" Shego remarked.

After Kim shut out her light, Shego stayed up a little while later studying the ankle bracelet. It was clearly designed to be tamper proof, and a quick test with a plasma bolt showed that it was impervious to her powers. It wouldn't have mattered whether she had the bracelet or not. Shego didn't have anywhere to go, not with all her contacts in the criminal world either dead or captured. Even Jack Hench had been put out of business when he was bought out by Wade Load industries. For now, Shego would stay where she was. Kim's face was the last thing that crossed her mind before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_And so ends chapter 2. All KiGo fics make some attempt to change the characters, but here I've gone a step further by making each of them even more conflicted in their motivations and obligations, which is a veritable breeding ground for the vulnerability and confusion required to cross over into lesbianism. Kim is a living contradiction, so unsure of how to handle both her personal and professional life that she has simply devoted herself to the latter. Shego's primary motivation is to get Kim to do the opposite, but for exactly what reason we will find out soon. Next we will get more in-depth on the murder investigation and the main action in the story. Please read and review. No flames, please_

**beeftony**


	3. CSI: Middleton

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**Chapter Three**  
CSI: Middleton

Streetlamps cast a dim glow on the sidewalk. Puddles of light revealed a path through the darkness. In between these lights, there was seemingly nothing. It seemed to be that if you stepped in the darkness rather than the light, you would somehow fall into a bottomless pit and never be heard from again.

That was how it appeared to the six year old girl who raced frantically down the abandoned sidewalk, each breath forming small clouds in the cool night air as her lungs fought for oxygen with short, rapid intakes of air. Her green eyes darted back and forth, and every few seconds her head would flip around to see if she was still being followed. She was.

The girl picked up the pace, running as fast as her six year old legs could carry her. Behind her was a shadow. She could not make out who it was at this distance, but it clearly had one thing on its mind: her death.

The girl's chest burned and her legs began to give out. She tripped involuntarily as she looked back to check on the distance of her pursuer. It was gaining quickly. A massive cloak concealed most of its features, so she had no idea who (or what) it was. She ducked into a side alley, but the man followed. She reached a dead end and turned around to see that the shadowy creature stood not five feet away, its razor sharp scythe gleaming in the moonlight. The girl covered her eyes and opened her mouth to scream as the weapon came towards her.

* * *

Kim woke up to the sound of a shrill scream. Getting out of bed to investigate, she found Shego in the living room looking as though she was having a seizure. She screamed and convulsed, shouting, "NO! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME!" 

Kim had never seen Shego this afraid before. Acting purely on instinct, she ran over and shook the pale woman awake. Shego's eyes shot open in fear, and her immediate reaction was to grab the closest thing to her, which just happened to be Kim. With the green woman's arms around her, Kim could barely breathe. Shego was hyperventilating and had sweat a great deal. It was clear that whatever her nightmare was about, it was intense. The frightened woman's eyes were wide with panic, and she held on to Kim as though her life depended on it. Kim offered no resistance as she was not sure of how Shego would react and just held the embrace for now.

Eventually, Shego's breathing settled down and she released her death grip on Kim, who let Shego be for now and just headed back to bed. Shego was too shaken up to discuss this right now, and she eventually drifted back off to sleep.

* * *

"What was that last night?" Kim asked, actually seeming concerned for once. But then again, if something was scary enough to freak out Shego, then it was certainly worthy of her attention. 

"What was what?" Shego replied, pretending not to know what she was talking about. Vulnerability was not something that Shego liked to let show, especially not to Kim.

"You had a nightmare," Kim reminded her. "What was it about?"

"What nightmare?" Shego asked, now in full-fledged denial mode.

"The one that made you nearly crush my ribs," Kim answered.

Shego pondered this for a second, then spoke. "I really have no idea what you're talking about, Princess."

Kim got the hint. "Alright," she said as she raised her hands in a surrender gesture. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. But if it has anything to do with your past it might help us with the investigation."

"Again, Kimmie, I don't remember having any nightmares."

"Tell that to the 32 neighbors who called here last night saying they heard screaming." Kim retorted.

"Damn it Princess, will you just DROP IT ALREADY?!!" Shego yelled, causing Kim to spill her coffee.

Kim sat there with a blank face for a second. "Alright," she said meekly, which was very unlike her. She resumed the "business mode" that she had displayed for the past two days and stood to her feet, grabbing a rag from the sink and washing down the table to clean up the coffee stain. For some reason Shego found herself watching Kim's every movement. Brown liquid dripped from the rag as Kim wrung it out in the sink. Shego saw the event occur in slow motion. Why this mattered to her she didn't know. All she knew is that she was extremely shaken up about last night and needed a distraction. Anything to avoid talking about it.

The details of the dream were already slipping away from Shego, but the part just before she woke up was burned into her mind. It was a memory of her past that she had worked hard to forget. Why it was coming back now she did not know. All she knew was that she didn't want to talk about it, especially not with Kim.

Though she was grateful that her former rival had opened up her home to her, Shego remained suspicious. It seemed highly curious that Kim would be that willing to let go of the past, and her behavior this morning was even stranger. Why did she seem so concerned with Shego's past? Was it because it might help on the investigation like she said, or did some part of the old Kim remain? Shego wasn't sure that she wanted to find out if waking up in the middle of the night from the most terrifying dream she'd ever had was the only way to do it. She shook off the feeling and just collapsed on the couch.

"Get up," Kim ordered, and Shego complied. "We need to be at Headquarters to go over forensics."

"Are you sure they'll let me in there without trying to kill me?" Shego asked. She'd burned more than a few bridges at GJ.

Kim smiled, which was very odd for her these days. "As long as you're with me, you'll be fine. Now let's go!" The two women left the penthouse and began the drive to GJ.

* * *

Even though there was a launch tube connected directly to GJ in her house, Kim enjoyed driving over there every day. It was very cathartic to take out her emotions on the road. To Shego, she didn't seem nearly as angry as the day before, which struck her as, once again, odd. She ignored the feeling for now. Too many weird things were going on lately and she didn't have time to focus on every single one. 

They arrived outside a small warehouse. Shego, who had never been to GJ headquarters before, was in for quite a surprise. There were two phone booths along the outer wall. Kim stepped into one. Shego was a bit confused.

"What, are you Supergirl now? Why are you in a phone booth?" Shego asked in her ignorance.

"Just get in the other one." Kim growled. She was in no mood to explain anything.

"Okay, okay," Shego said with her hands raised in surrender. "All I'm sayin' is this is getting weirder by the second."

Kim flashed her a mischievous grin. "You ain't seen nothin' yet," she quoted from a famous song before pushing a button on the phone.

"What's that supposed to—" Shego was cut off when the floor beneath her disappeared and she found herself plummeting deep into the earth. She was in a tube of some sort, and she was traveling somewhere around 80 miles per hour. She wasn't scared by any means, just a bit surprised. That Kim hadn't told her about this made Shego all the more suspicious that her old rival was trying to get back at her.

Eventually the tubes stopped and the doors opened. Shego fell to the ground panting. "Holy shit, you people go through THAT every day? I'm getting too fucking old for that kind of shit." She was obviously quite upset to be swearing like she was.

"Shego, you're 29," Kim retorted, helping the green woman to her feet. "You're not old at all."

"Tell that to my—"

"AHEM!" Kim stood there with her hands on her hips, demanding that Shego drop the subject.

"Okay, okay, whatever." Shego stood up and followed Kim as she walked towards the office of Dr. Director.

* * *

Dr. Elizabeth Director had been the head of GJ for longer than most of the people working there could remember. For her age (which she refused to reveal for "official reasons"), she was damned attractive, even with that eye patch that made her look more like a pirate than the head of a law enforcement agency. She wore her brown hair short and cut off just above her shoulders, and her uniform that she'd worn for over twenty years hugged along her curves in a very eye-pleasing way. All in all, she was quite a sight for those who had not been trained to respectfully look away. 

Despite being blind in one eye, Dr. Director saw and heard everything that went on in Global Justice. An agent couldn't even sneeze without her knowing about it. If it's true that all women have eyes in the back of their heads, then Dr. Director was simply made of eyes that compensated for her lack of one. As a former spy, not much could get past her.

Which is why she wasn't the least bit surprised when Kim Possible walked into her office even though she had not made an appointment. Nor did it surprise her that the woman she was with was a long time enemy of Global Justice. What _did_ surprise her was the willingness with which Shego followed her former rival. Dr. Director had expected at least some resistance. She was only surprised for a brief second before she shook it off. It took more than that to freak out Betty Director. A lot more.

Dr. Director had been watching Kim closely these past few years. She had taken a heartbroken teen hero mourning the death of her lover and forged her into an emotionless soldier who was far more useful in the field. She was of the belief that people were either useful or dead weight. Kim was now definitely the former. Dr. Director had taken her under her wing, showing her all the tricks of the trade and how to separate one's personal life from their professional life. She was so good nobody was sure if Betty even _had_ a personal life. As Kim's mentor, Dr. Director felt it was her duty to ensure that Kim was the same if the redhead was to replace her someday.

"Welcome Kimberly. Welcome Shego," Dr. Director greeted them as she stood. Shego flashed Dr. Director a glare. The head of GJ seemed to lose her composure for a moment as she returned the look. Kim noticed this, but decided to ignore it for now. After all, Shego had caused a lot of trouble for Global Justice in the past. Still, it might be worth mentioning to Shego later. Kim didn't know why she wanted to do that. After all, Shego was only here as a formality. It was at Dr. Director's insistence that she had been released. Kim was against the idea at first, but if she wanted to maintain her position and hope to take over Global Justice one day, she had to obey.

"I'm sure you know why we're here." Kim spoke up, cutting to the chase.

"Yes, I do," Dr. Director replied, sitting back down in her chair and motioning for Kim and Shego to do the same. "I've alerted the forensics lab that you're on your way. I trust the investigation is running smoothly?"

"Yes ma'am," Kim responded. "We went over the files last night and Shego is all caught up on what's been going on so far."

Shego was about to open her mouth to object, but decided against it. The truth of the matter was that she hadn't heard a damn thing Kim said last night because she was so lost in thought. They didn't need to know that, however, so Shego just decided to play along. She was able to think on her feet; she would probably figure it out before they even realized she was completely uninformed. It wasn't the first time she'd crossed paths with those mooks at Global Justice, but this was the first time she was with Kim while she did it. The redhead would be able to tell what Shego was really listening to and thinking about the night before. She decided to be extra careful and not say anything that might reveal her ignorance. She would speak only when spoken to.

They stood up and turned to leave the office. Just before they left, Dr. Director said one last thing. "Oh, by the way Shego," The green woman turned around. "It's good to see you again." Dr. Director punctuated her closing remark with a wink.

* * *

The Global Justice Forensics Lab was located in the deepest part of the underground complex, so separated from the rest of the headquarters that it took another network of tubes just to get down there. But the technology used there was so advanced that it required the extra buffer. It had been developed by Dr. Wade Load, Kim's old tech guy and world-renowned supergenius. Well, he would have been world-renowned if he had ever come out of his room. Wade suffered from agoraphobia, the fear of going out into public. This isolated location fit him perfectly. 

The 18 year old supergenius greeted the two women at the airlock. He had undergone quite a change in appearance. Kim felt as though she had seen Wade like this before, but she couldn't quite place it. His classic blue shirt had the sleeves cut off to emphasize Wade's buff new physique. He had really filled out in the last several years, getting a barrel chest, tree trunk legs, and arms that looked as though they could snap a man's spine in two. He had Mr. Steve Barkin to thank for being his personal trainer. His once spiky hair had been grown long and been pulled back into a pony tail.

"Hey Kim!" he shouted excitedly as he embraced his long time friend. His voice had changed too, deepening to the point where he sounded like that one guy from _The Green Mile_. Again, Kim swore she had heard that voice before, but she couldn't remember where. Wade eventually released her and looked at the pale woman she had brought with her. "Oh, hey Shego," he said with far less enthusiasm.

"Hey Nerdlinger," Shego responded. Wade let out a low growl and his face distorted to resemble a snarling bull as he let out an angry snort. Shego rolled her eyes.

Kim interrupted the duel between the two and insisted that they get on with the investigation. "Whatever," they both mumbled.

Wade led them over to where the body of Hego was being dissected for an autopsy. Kim and Wade looked on dispassionately, but Shego had to cover her mouth to hold back the bile that was building up in the back of her throat. Sensing that Shego wasn't able to handle this, Kim insisted they move on. Wade nodded and brought them into another room where they could discuss the investigation in private.

"Have you determined the cause of death?" Kim asked.

"Well, you don't have to be a trained forensics expert to tell that he got cut up good…" Wade answered. "…but it helps." he added as a joke. Shego didn't think it was funny and glared at him furiously. He let out a quiet chuckle and Kim continued to ask her questions.

"Murder weapon?" she inquired.

Wade dipped his head and let out a deep sigh. "That's what we've been trying to figure out. It doesn't look like any of the murder weapons we've come across." He gestured to a rather grotesque picture of Hego's dead body. "The wounds are too long to have been a knife and they're too deep to have just been a sword. It looks more like a…"

"…Kafziel." Shego finished. Her face had grown even more pale than usual, if that was even possible. She stood frozen, unable to move her eyes from the picture.

"A what?" Kim asked, turning to face Shego.

"Kafziel. Death Scythe," she translated.

"Now that's just wacked," Wade spoke up. "Who the hell goes around killing people with a scythe? Hell, who even carries a scythe nowadays?"

"The Reaper." Shego answered quietly, her eyes transfixed on the picture. She was drawn to it, even though all her instincts told her to look away. It seemed that Kim was right about her dream last night. But she never thought it would be like this.

"Who?" Kim and Wade asked at the same time, neither one bothering to call "jinx."

"The Reaper," Shego repeated, finally turning away from the vile picture and facing them. "He's an old enemy of mine. From my hero days." She placed her hands on the steel table and dropped her head, letting out a deep sigh. "That's what the nightmare was about. The first time I met him. I almost got killed."

"Do you want to—" Kim started, but Shego cut her off.

"NO!" she screamed, startling Kim and Wade. "No," she repeated in a calmer tone. "That's all I remember about the dream. That he was in it. I don't remember anything else."

"Well, at least now we know whodunit," Wade spoke up through the awkward silence. "Do you know where he is?"

"No," Shego answered. "If I did I wouldn't be here. I thought he was gone. He always did swear he'd get his revenge on me and my brothers." Her eyes opened as wide as dinner plates. "My brothers!" She raced out of the room.

Kim and Wade exchanged a glance. "Go ahead," Wade told her. Kim nodded and ran off after Shego.

"Shego, wait!"

* * *

_I hope this helps to answer some of the concerns people had with this story. Thank you for all your comments and reviews. The first two chapters were really just the necessary KiGo setup. It will be all action from here on out, I promise. You'll notice that Dr. Director is responsible for Kim's OOCness, rather than just Shego as I had originally planned. Trust me, she plays a HUGE role in the story, and I have a killer twist planned that will blow your mind. For those of you who say that I'm making too many loose ends, don't worry; I plan on tying them all up in the end. The plot strings revealed in this chapter will have a huge impact on this story. I have at least 9 chapters planned, maybe even more if the inspiration strikes me. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	4. Basic Instinct

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**Chapter Four**  
Basic Instinct

"Shego, wait!"

Kim rushed after the green woman, who was racing frantically towards one of the launch tubes. Just before she got to it, Kim tackled her to the ground and tried to restrain her. It was not an easy task. She grabbed Shego by the wrists instead of the hands so that she would not get burned, but she still felt a warm sensation near her hands as Shego's lit up in an attempt to repel the woman on top of her. Kim's grip stayed firm, and eventually Shego unlit her hands and calmed down. Kim released her and the green woman stood to her feet with a scowl on her face.

"What the hell was that all about?" Shego asked as she dusted herself off. Kim lowered her eyes to Shego's feet and pointed to her ankle bracelet.

"If you get more than 500 yards away from me, that thing goes off." Kim informed her simply, crossing her arms and sticking out her hip authoritatively. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather the only person who can give me a lead on this murder case not be blown to pieces for running away."

"But they're my brothers!" Shego protested, throwing her arms in the air in a futile attempt to make Kim see her point. "I can't just do nothing!"

"Yes, but if you run off there you'll probably be headed straight into a trap. And I do NOT need another murder to investigate. Even _if_ I know 'whodunit,' you're the only one who can identify him. If he kills you, what will we do then?" Kim's logic was hard to deny, but Shego still tried.

"This from the woman who used to charge headlong into any situation without giving a fuck about the consequences?" Shego was obviously very distraught to be using such language. It wasn't normal for her. "What happened to her? Why have you suddenly turned into some mindless machine?" Shego was letting her true feelings out into the open. Kim could see that they were attracting several stares from around the room.

"Shego, drop it." Kim stated emotionlessly, but with a hint of firmness.

"Why should I drop it? Because you know I'm right? They're my brothers, Kim, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna—" her words were cut off by the taser extending from Kim's watch that she was now using to subdue the unruly villainess. It was necessary, and she felt no remorse doing it. Shego had been causing a scene that would have soon led to one of their trademark fights. She had one of the GJ agents help her to carry Shego off to the launch tube that led to her house. She could have somebody pick up the car later. Right now she needed to get Shego home.

* * *

"It's good to see you again." Those were the last words that echoed in Shego's mind as she drifted off into unconsciousness. True, they had been spoken almost an hour before, but they stuck in her head. It was a reminder of her past—a past she could never escape. 

Soon she found herself back in the body of that six year old girl that she had once been, caught in the moment of truth between her and The Reaper's Kafziel. She saw it gleaming in the moonlight, reflecting her terrified face as it barreled down towards her. She closed her eyes and let out an earsplitting scream.

Just before the Kafziel made impact, however, it was knocked to the side in a shower of sparks, but nobody was there. The Reaper looked around to see where the gunshot had come from. Nothing. He did a quick scan of the rooftops and saw nobody. He looked to the fire escapes. Nothing. He looked in the shadows. Nothing. He never thought to look directly behind him.

The butt of a sniper rifle came smashing into the back of his head, knocking him out cold. He slowly fell forward, revealing the silhouetted form of a woman standing behind him.

She was about 5'8", small build, but very strong. Her brown hair was cut off just above her shoulders, and she had an eye patch over her left eye. She discarded the rifle as nothing but a tool that had outlived its usefulness then dipped her knees and leaned forward so that she was about eye-level with the girl.

"Hello there, little girl," she said in a very comforting tone. "What's your name?"

"Shego."

"And what are you doing out here all alone, Shego?"

"Hiding."

"Hiding from what?"

Shego pointed to the crumpled remains of The Reaper. The woman nodded. "Well, you don't have to hide anymore. It's over. Where's your mommy and daddy?"

Shego's face turned blank and tears came to her eyes. "They're… They're…" she struggled to find the words. "…not here."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the woman said soothingly. She tried to lay a hand on Shego's shoulder, but she flinched involuntarily, forcing it away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, seemingly concerned.

"My mommy told me never to talk to strangers."

"And your mommy was very important to you, wasn't she?"

Shego nodded.

The small, pale-skinned girl was suddenly struck with inspiration. "Hey, I know," she spoke up, her voice lightening in tone, betraying her youthful enthusiasm and ability to shift gears quickly. "Why don't you tell me your name? Then we won't be strangers anymore."

"That's a wonderful idea, Shego," the woman said as replied smiled warmly. "My name is Betty."

"Well now we're not strangers anymore," Shego said happily.

Betty flashed her a wide grin. "No, we're not."

* * *

Shego woke from the dream suddenly to find herself face to face with Kim Possible. She immediately put a scowl on her face, and Kim did the same. They were both quite upset about what had just transpired. 

Shego was the first to speak. "What the fuck did you taser me for?"

"You were getting out of control. Standard procedure for anyone who poses a threat to my person." Kim sounded even more robotic than usual. It was clear that she was trying not to get involved in an argument. She was clearly losing that struggle.

"Standard procedure, standard procedure, I'm sick and fucking tired of standard procedure!" Shego yelled as she stood to her feet. "The old Kim never talked about standard procedure. She would always just go in and rely on her wits and ingenuity. What the fuck happened to her?"

"She died with Ron." Kim's face was cold and unfeeling. She would not even make eye contact with Shego. Something about the pale woman's eyes held a truth which she could not escape. Shego seemed to be capable of bringing out something in her. Kim had always viewed it as her best, but when Ron died she did the opposite. She refused to give in to emotion. Logic, reason and procedure were her entire world now. She was convinced that no amount of emotion was going to change that. But there was something about Shego that reminded her of the person she had once been. A person who was now gone.

"No she didn't." Shego countered. "You were about ready to kill me that day, or don't you remember? You were just too busy crying to notice that you hated me for killing him!"

"Well could you blame me?!" Kim shouted as she stood to her feet as well. Her eyes were beginning to tear up as a wave of repressed emotions shot to the surface. "Ron was my entire life! And you took that away!"

"You weren't the only one to lose your partner!" Shego screamed back. "Drakken died too!"

"So? You weren't in love with Drakken. Why did you even stay with him?"

"So I could get to see you!" That didn't come out quite how Shego had expected. She had been caught up in the moment and just said the first thing that popped into her head. She never dreamed it would be the reason that she was even in this fight.

Kim was stunned. "What?"

"You heard me! I stayed with that doofus just so I could cross paths with you. You're the only one who ever provided me with a challenge because you're exactly like me!"

"That's not true!" Kim shouted with an accusing finger pointed at Shego. "You're evil! You always were, you always will be! I'm not like you at all!"

"Really Princess?" Their faces were now inches apart. "Then why is it that we both have green eyes? That we both used to hang out with goofy sidekicks? That we're both strong independent women who don't give a fuck what anybody else says? If all that's true then how are we not alike?!"

"Because you're evil! I told you before. You've always been evil!" Her spit was flying into Shego's face, but the green woman didn't care.

Shego backed up and her eyes traveled to the ground. "I haven't always been evil," she said quietly.

"Really? Then what was all this about 'I am evil' when we met your brothers?" Kim crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

"I WASN'T evil." Shego repeated. "At one time I really did like fighting for good. But my brothers changed all that. They were soulless beings, Kim. They didn't care about what I thought or what I felt, just how I could be used as a means to their ends. That's why I quit. I couldn't stand being manipulated like that." Her tone was calm and rational, a change of pace from just a minute before. "And, now I see the same thing happening to you and it sickens me. I hate seeing people used, Kim. Especially when they're wonderfully independent people like you."

Kim tried in vain to keep the yelling match going. "But you're still evil!"

"Princess I haven't been evil since that day in the warehouse when both our partners died. You think something died in you? When I saw that I killed your sidekick I decided that I really didn't like the person I'd become. I figured it was time for a change. I gotta say, though. You don't seem nearly as upset about Stoppable's death as I thought you'd be. The old Kimmie would have kicked my ass by now."

Kim let out a punch, which Shego caught with one hand. A smug grin spread across her face. "It's good to have you back, Princess."

Kim said nothing and twisted her arm, freeing it from Shego's grip. She tried to lash out with a spin kick, but Shego was too fast and just ducked as Kim's foot sailed over her head. Using the momentum from the kick, Kim shot both her fists forward in a quick one-two punch combo, which Shego expertly blocked. The green woman threw a punch of her own that barely missed Kim as the redhead bent over backwards and did a back handspring, which hit Shego in the chin and sent her flying back a good five feet.

Shego flexed her back and quickly got back on her feet, smiling widely the whole time. She hadn't done this in years. She extended her palm and beckoned Kim with four fingers in the classic "bring it" gesture.

Kim found her heart was racing like it hadn't in years. She enjoyed this rush. Charging like a bull towards a matador's cape, Kim overshot Shego as the pale woman deftly stepped to the side. Shego performed a quick roundhouse kick that found a spot in the small of Kim's back, launching her several feet where she fell on her face.

In a maneuver similar to a push-up, Kim leapt into the air using just her hands and landed on her feet. She wiped away the bit of blood that now seeped from her mouth and advanced towards Shego, determined to end this. Like she had the night of the junior prom, Kim let loose with a flurry of punches, but Shego deflected each and every one. She caught both of Kim's hands and pulled her closer so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"See Kimmie? It's fun, isn't it?" Shego panted.

"I still hate you," Kim growled.

"No you don't." Shego replied and surprised even herself when she did what she did next: she kissed Kim Possible.

* * *

_This chapter was originally supposed to be a lot shorter, but for some reason the characters wanted to talk a lot. I figured I'd add the fight scene so that they could get even more worked up and lost in the moment. I hope you find it believable, but I can understand if you don't. I'm working on chapter five right now and hope to have it posted some time later today. I named this chapter Basic Instinct for a very subtle reason that actually has nothing to do with that movie, but still fits. Oh, and while we're talking about names, can anybody guess where I got the name Kafziel? It's a very popular video game. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**_  
_


	5. Love Bites

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**_Warning: This scene gets a little hot. I advise against reading it unless you are 18 or older. If you are not of age, I suggest skipping to the next chapter. With that in mind, let the games begin!_**

_**Love Bites** is performed by Def Leppard_

**Chapter Five**  
Love Bites

During their little scuffle, Kim had been knocked into a radio. A song started to play. A strange synthesized voice began to speak.

_If you've got love in your sights  
Watch out, love bites  
_

Kim's eyes were wide with shock, but for some reason she could not pull herself away from Shego's lips. It all seemed so wrong and yet… so right. The woman who had tried to kill her time and time again and had killed her lover now had her lips pressed against her face, but Kim could not let go. Everything was so uncertain in her life, and this was the one thing she was sure about, even if it confused the hell out of her. The surreality of the situation was enhanced by the enchanting tune of the song.  
_  
When you make love, do you look in your mirror?  
Who do you think of, does he look like me?  
Do you tell lies and say that it's forever?  
Do you think twice, or just touch 'n' see?  
Ooh babe ooh yeah _

Shego pulled away. Her eyes were wide with surprise and uncertainty at what she had just done. She and Kim stared at each other blankly for a moment.

"I'm… sorry" Shego spoke up. She had never expected to do that. Gender didn't really matter to Shego. If she liked someone enough to desire sex, she would go after it. But this… this was different. This was the woman whom she had tried to kill time and time again. This was the woman whose lover she had murdered. This same woman who was now staring at her with big green eyes filled with confusion. Shego's arms gripped the younger woman's shoulders firmly, refusing to let go even though all her instincts told her this was wrong. But it felt so… right.  
_  
When you're alone, do you let go?  
Are you wild 'n' willin' or is it just for show?  
Ooh c'mon  
_

Kim stared right back into Shego's eyes. She had been kissed before, but only once had she been kissed like this. Her first kiss was when she locked braces with Walter Nelson. That was certainly awkweird. The second time was with Josh, and while that had been fun, it wasn't exactly true love. The third time was when she kissed Ron while under the influence of the moodulator, but that didn't really count. But the fourth time, the truly special time, was at the junior prom with… Ron. Kim remembered how she had felt that night. She felt as though her entire life had been a prelude to that moment, how everything was designed to converge in that climactic first kiss. Oddly, she felt the exact same way now.  
_  
I don't wanna touch you too much baby  
'Cos making love to you might drive me crazy  
I know you think that love is the way you make it  
So I don't wanna be there when you decide to break it  
No!  
_

They stood frozen for several seconds, neither one willing to move. They held each other's gaze, refusing to blink for fear that it would snap them back to reality. They did not want to go back. All that mattered was here and now. Reality could wait.

Kim's eyes shimmered as they peered into an identical set of emerald orbs. Her mind told her this was wrong, but her body refused to listen. It had a mind of its own. Their lips met as the song broke into chorus.  
_  
Love bites, love bleeds  
It's bringin' me to my knees  
Love lives, love dies   
It's no surprise  
Love begs, love pleads  
It's what I need _

Breathing heavily, Kim channeled all of the emotions she had held back for all those years into that one kiss. She wrapped her arms around Shego's slender frame and brought the pale woman closer to herself. Her arms moved up and down the green latex, eventually settling around the area of Shego's backside which she gave a firm squeeze.

Shego let out a small moan and let her arms travel up the younger woman's side, enveloping her right breast. Kim's breath stuttered as a twinge of pleasure shot through her body, causing her to come up for air. They stared at each other for a moment before diving right back into another kiss, their tongues fighting each other for space.

_When I'm with you are you somewhere else?  
Am I gettin' through or do you please yourself?  
When you wake up will you walk out?  
It can't be love if you throw it about  
Ooh babe_

Kim separated herself from Shego and took the older woman by both hands, ushering her towards the bedroom. Forget rationality. Forget right and wrong. Forget everything that had happened between them in the past. All she knew was that she wanted this and she was going to get it. Her eyes burned with desire. Tiny flames danced in her fluttering heart. She felt an uncontrollable desire overcome her. She needed Shego. Now.

Grabbing the clasp that held Shego's suit together, Kim slowly undid it and pulled it down seductively, letting her fingernails slide down the woman's pale skin in a very tantalizing manner. Shego took Kim's hands into her own and helped her undo the zipper. Shego's soft breasts fell out and Kim gazed at them in amazement for a second. She planted a line of kisses starting at Shego's belly button and ending on the mounds that extended from Shego's chest. The green woman let out a moan of pleasure.

_I don't wanna touch you too much baby  
'Cos making love to you might drive me crazy _

_No!  
_

Growing impatient, Kim grabbed her shirt and threw it across the room. She quickly followed suit with her pants. She grabbed the older woman by both hands and pulled her down on top of her. Her hands explored every inch of the woman's fully exposed body, settling in an area that she knew would make Shego gasp with pleasure. She moved her foot up and down the inside of the pale woman's calf, enhancing the pleasure. Their lips found each other once more as their passion reached new heights.  
_  
Love bites, love bleeds  
It's bringin' me to my knees  
Love lives, love dies   
It's no surprise  
Love begs, love pleads  
It's what I need   
_

Kim's auburn hair and Shego's raven black locks seemed to be in a dance all their own, flying about wildly as the two women pleasured each other. Kim's nails left soft white scars that hardly showed up on the pale woman's skin and faded away just as quickly. They were constantly shifting from top to bottom, each woman fighting for dominance in a continuation of the never-ending struggle that had begun from the first day they met. Sweat dripped from their naked bodies as their hearts threatened to explode in their respective chests. The tension was building up to mountainous heights.

Kim stuck her finger in an area she never would have expected. Shego's center was wet from the foreplay that had now lasted several minutes. She was ready. Kim slid in another finger, then another, then another until her entire hand was inside Shego. She squeezed her hand into a fist, causing the older woman to arch her back and let out a gasp of pleasure. Kim slowly and rhythmically slid her arm up and down. Shego enjoyed it immensely.

_Ohh yeah  
I don't wanna touch you too much baby  
'Cos making love to you might drive me crazy  
I know you think that love is the way you make it  
So I don't wanna be there when you decide to break it  
No!_

As Shego was about to orgasm, Kim withdrew her arm. She wasn't done; not yet. A bit angry that she was being teased like that, Shego tackled the younger woman and forced her to submit. Kim fought and struggled, but Shego had her pinned. She saw that it was futile to resist and simply decided to give into the other woman's desires. This turned her on even more, and her entire body trembled in anticipation.

Shego had various settings for her glow powers. There was the standard plasma burst which could burn on contact, there was a stun mode, and there was a third, which she was about to use to Kim's soon-to-be-great delight. She ignited her hand and stuck it in Kim's center as the song approached the final chorus.

_Love bites, love bleeds  
It's bringin' me to my knees  
Love lives, love dies  
_

_Love bites, love bleeds  
It's bringin' me to my knees  
Love lives, love dies   
It's no surprise  
Love begs, love pleads  
It's what I need _

Kim let out a loud shriek as the twinges of pain mixed with waves of overwhelming pleasure radiated through her 105 pound frame. She had never felt so alive before. Her body shuddered in pure ecstasy that pulsed from her center. She was definitely in favor of this. She freed her other arm and brought it back around to Shego's center, causing a simultaneous build in pressure. The two women worked in unison as the tension mounted.

Suddenly the mountainous pressure was released and a string of orgasms shot through the body of each woman. Their voices reached unison as the pleasure radiated from their respective centers. It seemed to last forever, but it ended all too soon.

They reached for each other in the dark, afraid to let go for fear that they would be eternally separated. Their moist skin grew cold and clammy as the pleasure left their bodies, but each other was all they had. They clung to each other for dear life and listened to the ominous last words of the song.

_If you've got love in your sights  
Watch out, love bites  
Yes it does  
It will be hell_

* * *

_Okay, plausible or not? A lot of you probably don't care. This is the hottest scene I've ever written, even hotter than some of my K/R stuff. I tried hard to match up the feel of the song with the atmosphere of the chapter, and I think I did an okay job. Next up: the morning after. Please read and review. No flames, please.  
_

**beeftony**


	6. Waking Up Is Hard to Do

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**Chapter 6**  
Waking Up Is Hard to Do

It was just another day in the life of teen hero Kim Possible. She had schoolwork to do, villains to foil, Bonnie to tolerate, but most importantly of all, her boyfriend to spend time with. All was right with the world.

Kim and Ron had been friends since Pre-K. They had been inseparable since the age of four. Through thick and thin, the pair had stood by each other, providing a picture perfect example of platonic love. Until the night they decided to make it something more.

The night of the junior prom had been an eventful one. There had been Drakken's crazy scheme, Eric turning out to be a synthodrone, and, most importantly of all, Ron's confession that he had feelings for Kim. There had always been a powerful dynamic between the two, but Kim never suspected that it was love. She cursed herself for not seeing what was right under her nose all along: she and Ron were made for each other.

Many thought that they made the perfect couple because they completed each other so well. Each had what the other needed. Ron's non-conformist "I can do anything" motto inspired Kim to be herself. He taught her quite a few lessons about peer pressure and social norms that she would carry with her until the day she died.

Kim was no slouch in the friendship department, either. The reason she became popular was because she tried to befriend people, unlike a certain brown-haired rival of hers who just ignored everybody. She encouraged Ron to excel, calling him "Potential Boy" and insisting he be interested in school. She was responsible for the person he had become.

They had faults, just like everybody else. Kim could be bossy and arrogant at times and Ron was sometimes lazy and unmotivated, not to mention "prone to big-headiness," as Kim had put it. But they both cancelled out each other's faults and brought out each other's strengths. They worked perfectly together.

Yep, all was right with the world. That was about to change.

It all started innocently enough. Kim was hanging out with Ron in between classes when Wade called them about a mission.

"What's the sitch Wade?" Out of all of Kim's catchphrases, this was the most common.

"Drakken and Shego… again."

"On my way."

Drakken and Shego were Kim's biggest enemies. Drakken was easy enough to foil, but Shego always complicated matters. Kim's feelings toward her were not exactly hatred, but it was very close. It was more of a begrudging respect. She couldn't help thinking sometimes that if things had gone differently, Shego and her may have become good friends. Of course, their being on opposite sides of a hero/villain conflict precluded that possibility. Still, Kim never took Shego's attempts on her life personally. It felt like she was holding back. She could have injured Kim severely if she wanted to, but lately she only attacked when Drakken gave the order, and she didn't seem all that interested in actually hurting her.

When Kim and Shego fought, it was like a dance. They would circle each other and exchange blows, neither one managing to truly land a critical hit on the other. It was mostly glancing blows, and no blood was spilled. It was actually kind of tame when you thought about it. The whole thing was more of a competition between rivals than a fight. But that didn't mean the competition wasn't fierce. Kim and Shego seemed to bring out the best in each other's fighting skills, challenging each other to become better for the sake of defeating their opponent. It was an adrenaline rush that both women lived for; a bond that nobody shared but them.

Kim's life was one big game of saving the world after homework. But not for long.

A shadowy figure watched from a distance as Team Possible pulled up to the warehouse where Drakken and Shego were supposed to be. Glove-covered fingers fidgeted in anticipation as the soon-to-be assassin's index finger wrapped around the trigger of the sniper rifle. Somebody was going down.

Kim slowly opened the door to the warehouse and signaled for Ron to follow. The boy's ninja training kicked in and they both infiltrated the facility without being detected.

Drakken always had a penchant for ridiculously complicated take-over-the-world devices. This was no exception. It had gotten to the point where he didn't even know what the devices did. He seemed to have run out of good ideas after that night at the junior prom, and Kim was beginning to think that Drakken liked the process of taking over the world better than the end result. He was in the middle of one of his trademark rants as the duo spotted him.

"And so I, Doctor Drakken, will activate this doomsday device unless you grant me the title of Supreme Ruler of Earth!" He finished speaking into the camera and turned to Shego. "How was that?"

Shego didn't hear him and instead sat listening to her iPod. Drakken's face lengthened as he realized his sidekick was yet again indifferent. He walked over and removed the headphones from her ears. "SHEGO!"

"Hey, I was listening to that!" Shego tried to reclaim her headphones, but Drakken was too fast. The mad scientist raised the headphones to his ears, expecting to hear some sort of Hip-Hop, but instead his ears were filled with Pop Rock.

Drakken was a bit surprised. "I never figured you for a Bon Jovi fan, Shego."

His sidekick blushed a deep green. "What? Some of their songs really speak to me." Shego said in a vain attempt to save face. Kim and Ron watched the exchange and both let out quiet chuckles.

Also observing this spectacle was the shadowy figure who now had the two members of Team Possible in his crosshairs. He would have to wait for the right moment. This was not your standard hit, after all. He had to make it look like there was no foul play. Not a problem.

Drakken twiddled his thumbs and waited for a good half-hour before he decided he'd had enough and just walked over to the device. "Give the world an ultimatum and this is the response I get?" Drakken mumbled. "Let's see what they think of THIS!" He punctuated that last part by thrusting the lever forward on the machine. Nothing happened.

"Gnn," Drakken grunted as he tried it again. Still nothing.

He was about to try it again when a familiar voice greeted him. "Uh, was this doohickey important?"

Drakken turned to face the source of the voice and his eyes shot open in genuine horror. Of all the parts to remove, he _had_ to choose _that_ one.

"You fool!" he cried frantically. "Do you have any idea what that thing does?!"

Ron turned to look innocently at the device in his hand. "I assume it makes whatever that thingy is work."

Drakken slapped his forehead. "Of course it does, you buffoon! Do you know what happens when you remove it?" For some reason Drakken felt more like explaining the utter devastation the device would bring rather than running for cover. This was a mistake.

"Uh, it stops working?" Ron asked ignorantly.

Drakken groaned in frustration and muttered something under his breath. "No, it—" his words were cut off as the machine exploded in a gigantic fireball. A piece of shrapnel caught Drakken in the chest, killing him instantly. Shego was blessed with quick reflexes and escaped the blast. Kim and Ron were launched backwards by the force of the explosion, knocking the former out cold and knocking the wind out of the latter. Even the assassin skulking in the rafters had to shield his eyes. He quickly recovered.

Shego walked over to the motionless body of Dr. Drakken. She fell to her knees and hung her head in failure and dejection. Dr. Drakken was more than a boss to her. She had grown rather fond of him over the years, eventually growing to like him as a person. Now he was gone. She slowly raised her tear-filled eyes that displayed malice and thoughts of revenge. She gritted her teeth as angry flames danced in her eyes. "That's it Stoppable," she grimaced. "You're goin' DOWN!" She ignited her hands and made a savage leap towards the blonde haired sidekick.

The assassin who had been hiding this whole time saw this as his chance. He focused his aim and fired. The bullet hit the boy's body at the precise moment Shego's glowing hands made contact. Perfect kill. The green woman's plasma would vaporize the bullet, removing any evidence of foul play. He grinned and left through the skylight.

Kim woke up to find Ron lying dead on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Her eyes traced over to find Shego with blood on her hands. The pale woman's eyes were wide open with horror and she was trembling rather violently. Then everything turned red as Kim lost control of her senses.

* * *

Kim woke from her dream with a start. She was breathing heavily. She looked around the room and found that she was back in the real world. She had graduated high school years ago. She no longer went on missions. Bonnie had moved to New York to pursue a career as a theatre actress. Ron was dead. All was not right with the world. 

She didn't remember much about the night before. All she remembered was having an argument with… Shego! The memories came rushing back to her in an instant, causing her eyes to widen even more and her heart to skip a beat. She let out a small gasp and her head jerked to her left where she saw the green woman sleeping peacefully next to her. Coming down from her initial panic, Kim noticed that Shego didn't look nearly as evil when she was asleep. She looked almost angelic, without a care in the world. Her naked chest rose and fell with each breath. Her raven black hair was a bit mussed up from the previous night's activities, and her skin still retained some traces of moisture. Her breathing was quiet and soothing, almost relaxing. Kim found herself drifting off as she watched Shego sleep. Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all.

Wasn't so bad? That thought snapped the redhead to attention. She sat up suddenly, pulling what little sheets that covered Shego off and revealing a part of her anatomy that Kim had spent dubious time exploring last night. Kim looked down and realized that she was naked too. She let herself collapse back onto her pillow, her face blank and her eyes wide-open in shock. Of course Shego was bad! She was evil! Why exactly she would choose to do… _that_ with a person who had tried to kill her—hell, killed Ron—eluded Kim. She suddenly found she had a huge headache.

The pale woman stirred and turned to face Kim. A warm smile spread across her lips. "Good morning, Princess."

Kim's body suddenly jerked out of bed, taking the covers with her. She stood on trembling legs, trying desperately to cover herself as she stared at the green woman for some kind of answer. "Wha… how…" Kim stammered, unable to form the words.

Shego let out a small chuckle. "You really don't remember, Princess?"

Kim shook her head. "No, I remember all right. Vividly. But… how exactly…"

"…did we end up together?" Shego finished. "No clue. Bet you're pretty worked up about all this."

"Understatement of the century!" Kim shouted as she threw her arms in the air, causing the sheet she was holding to fall to the floor. Blushing deeply, she bent down quickly and wrapped it around her thin body.

"Ya know, you don't really need to cover up, Princess, considering I've already seen _all _of you." The extra emphasis of the word "all" caused Kim to visibly shiver. A scowl developed on her face as she let the sheet drop to the floor. Shego, who had propped herself up on one arm and was revealing her entire front side to Kim, licked her lips as her eyes traveled up the younger woman's slender body. It was quite a sight. Kim continued to glare as she crossed her arms, drawing Shego's attention to two very attractive lumps on Kim's chest.

Kim found herself needing a distraction and went over to pick up her clothes. As she bent over in full view of Shego, the older woman couldn't resist having a little fun. "Bow Chick-a Bow-Bow!" Shego said in a sing-song voice as she performed a little dance on the bed. Kim's head whipped around and she glared at the pale woman seethingly. Shego leaned back on the bed and gripped her stomach as laughter overtook her.

"Is this funny to you?" Kim asked in an angered voice.

"A little bit. Yeah." Shego sat up and squeezed her index finger and thumb together to emphasize her point.

"Well I don't." Kim said as she zipped up her pants. She picked her shirt up from the floor and pulled it over her head. As her eyes poked through the top of her shirt, Kim noticed that the older woman was still staring at her. "I'm going out for a little bit," Kim informed her. "I really need to think about all this. I expect to see you here—fully clothed—when I get back. We need to talk about this, but first I need to calm down." She turned to walk out the door.

"Whatever floats your boat, Kimmie." Shego spoke. "Hey, one more thing." Kim turned around. "Now that you've been with a man and a woman, who's better: me or Stoppable?"

Kim's face turned blank. Tears welled up in her eyes as her lower lip began to quiver. She covered her face and ran out the bedroom door.

Shego realized her joke had not produced the desired effect, but the opposite. She sprang from the bed, not caring about her nakedness.

"Kim, wait!"

* * *

_I decided to go with a (relatively) lighter tone in this chapter and save all the heavy emotions for the next. I assume some of you thought I had lost my mind when I opened the chapter with a description advocating Kim and Ron as a better couple than Kim and Shego. Keep in mind that I don't plan on Kim and Shego being together at the end. Eventually the fantasy will end and everything will be brought back down to reality. Kim and Ron belong together. KiGo can only work as a fling. Nothing against homosexuality, it's just that two people with that kind of history have no realistic chance in the long term. Don't worry, though. This won't stop them from trying. I wouldn't devote this much time and energy to a story to dismiss it that quickly. They will eventually be forced apart by circumstances beyond their control. This marks the official beginning of the second act, where Kim and Shego must come to grips with their new relationship. There will be about 3 or 4 chapters in this act, and then the story will hit the home stretch. Hope you're all enjoying my little tale here. I have big plans. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	7. Livin' on a Prayer

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_**Livin' on a Prayer **is performed by Bon Jovi_

**Chapter 7  
**Livin' on a Prayer

"Kim, wait!"

Shego ran out the bedroom door, grabbing her catsuit along the way. She bounced on one leg as she tried to get the other in her suit, trying to chase Kim at the same time. It's a wonder she didn't fall. She quickly got both legs in and zipped it up, bringing the clasp together just as Kim was about to walk out the door. Shego grabbed the doorknob just as Kim was turning it. The redhead looked up at her with teary, anger-filled eyes.

"Look, Princess, I'm sorry," Shego apologized. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

Kim's voice was choked by the river of tears that now flowed down her face. "Yeah? Well what did you mean for it to sound like?"

"Well, not like that," Shego admitted. Truth be told, she didn't know what she was thinking when she made that remark. "I guess it was supposed to be a joke, but I got a little carried away. Please, just come back and let's talk about this."

"What's there to talk about?" Kim screamed as tears and mucus ebbed down her face. She wiped both away with her forearm. "That I slept with YOU, my WORST ENEMY?!" She was quite distraught. The tears returned, but she did not wipe them away. "First Ron dies, now THIS!" She threw her arms up in frustration, then gripped her forehead with both hands and bent forward as her legs trembled and barely managed to support her. "MY WHOLE FUCKING LIFE IS FALLING APART!!!"

"Princess, calm down." Shego tried to grab Kim's arm, but the redhead jerked herself away.

"NO! Don't touch me! DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" Her eyes were bloodshot and filled with madness. She glared at Shego with unparalleled intensity.

"Kim, calm down." Shego repeated. "You're a bit freaked out about this, I know. But you've gotta stop yelling before the whole damn building hears you." Her tone was calm and rational, whereas Kim was having a mental breakdown. The redhead fell to her knees as she gripped her head, trying to process the deluge of conflicting information that overwhelmed her finite brain. Shego was evil, but she had slept with her. Shego had tried to kill her, but here she was trying to help. Shego was evil. Shego was good. Shego was a girl. Shego was attractive for a girl. She had slept with a girl! It was all too much to take in at once. Kim began to feel light headed. Her vision blurred and spots began to form in front of her eyes. Her lungs were burning from lack of oxygen, but for some reason Kim had forgotten how to breathe.

"Breathe, Kim, breathe!" Shego yelled. The redhead was now on all fours, still trying to process the information. She tried to inhale, but she couldn't. Her body wouldn't let her. It was as if it was telling her to rest, to take a break from all the madness, to talk about this when she had regained her senses. She deposited her last meal on the floor and collapsed unconscious on the ground. She drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Wade couldn't figure it out. He knew the murder weapon, he knew the murderer, he was pretty sure he knew the motive, but there was one thing he didn't know. Why now?

Even though he had never gone into the field, Wade had seen plenty in his days as a support operative, enough to know that there was a certain way of doing things among villains. Things like disproportionate revenge. Whenever one of their take over the world schemes was defeated, all villains would try to come back with an even bigger one. This was not the case here. Hego had been retired for several years and attacked on his way home from work. It didn't make sense to Wade that someone would wait that long for revenge and just kill someone in cold blood like that. It just wasn't done.

Was The Reaper even looking for revenge? Or was he working for somebody? The latter made a lot more sense, though exactly why he didn't drag it out eluded the supergenius. For all his advanced degrees and powerful neurons, he couldn't crack it without the missing link. He was beginning to think such a link didn't even exist. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something big behind this. He had to tell Kim if he found out what it was. For now he would keep looking. He wondered if Kim and Shego were making any progress.

* * *

Kim woke up to the sound of music. She opened her eyes and found that she was in a bar. She was sitting at a table of some sort. She blinked her eyes repeatedly to bring them into focus. She saw Shego sitting across from her. A scowl developed on her face. Shego's expression was dead serious. The irony of the situation suddenly dawned on Kim. She had done the exact same thing to Shego the day before. Now the roles were reversed.

"Where are we?" Kim growled.

"We're at a bar," Shego answered, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"Question: why?" Kim asked impetulantly, mimicking the action Shego had just performed.

"So you won't make a scene like back at the house. We need to talk about this Kim, and I don't want you flying off the handle." Kim recognized the look in the older woman's eyes. It was the same look her mother used to get whenever she and Kim needed to have a serious talk. Shego's gaze was unflinching, boring straight into Kim's soul. Kim had never seen this side of her. Normally the pale woman hid behind a shell of arrested development that kept her in a perpetual teenage state like she had this morning, but Kim's actions had brought out this other side. Kim didn't like this side of Shego. She wanted desperately to escape those eyes that saw past the façade she had put up to guard herself and into her very soul. But she knew she couldn't. She steeled her face and formed a retort.

"You're the reason I flew off the handle!" Kim nearly shouted, drawing several stares from tables around them. She blushed slightly and leaned in so as to be heard only by the woman across from her, her right forearm supporting the rest of her torso as her head crossed the midpoint of the small wooden table. She lowered her voice and spoke through clenched teeth. "I wouldn't have flipped out if you hadn't manipulated me like that," she whispered harshly as she pointed an accusing finger at the woman across from her.

"Manipulated you?" Shego replied incredulously. "Princess I may have kissed you but you kissed me back. Not to mention you suggested we go even further. I was just receptive."

"Oh yeah, you were receptive alright." Kim commented sarcastically. She sat up straight in her chair and brought her hands closer together so that she could count off a list of counterexamples. "First you start a yelling match with me, then you tell me to hit you, then you kiss me, and right in the middle of all… _that_, you pin me and stick you hand in my—"

"Ah." Shego raised her hand in front of her face to interrupt. "One," she raised her right hand with her index finger extended to show that she was counting off a list just like Kim had been. "I admit I started the yelling match. But you were all too eager to jump in and start pouring out the feelings you'd been holding inside. Two," She raised a second finger. "I never told you to hit me. I just said the old Kimmie would have. You," She pointed her finger across the table. "chose to turn into old Kim and throw the punch. What happened from that point on was self defense. Three," She counted off a third finger. "Like I said before, you kissed me back. Four," She raised her pinky and smiled mischievously. "you did _that_ first. I was just returning the favor."

Kim leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in a huff, turning her head away and staring at some random point in space with an indignant expression that looked as though it belonged on a fourth grader. Kim hated being wrong. She had just never gotten used to the notion of losing. She had become quite good at beating Shego in a fist fight, but in a battle of wits she was getting her ass handed to her. Shego was far more experienced and knew more. Kim was not thinking clearly. The pout on her face grew more pronounced the more she thought about it.

Shego put on her serious face and continued. "So let's agree that what happened last night wasn't as cut and dry as you think it is. It wasn't just me, it wasn't just you. It was both of us. We were both two consenting adults, and nobody forced anybody else to do something they didn't want to."

Kim looked at Shego with a serious face of her own. "Fine. But that still doesn't change the fact that what happened last night was seriously wrong." She leaned forward and put both her palms on the table. "I mean, you're my worst enemy!" She threw her arms in the air to emphasize her point. "And you're a girl! Like Ron used to say, that's just sick and wrong!" She made a horizontal sweeping gesture with her arm to drive her point home.

"You're bringin' Stoppable into all this now?" Shego crossed her right leg over her left as she leaned back and hung the inside of her left elbow on the back of her chair. She looked up to see that the drinks she'd ordered while she waited for Kim to wake up had arrived. She took the green martini from the waitress and handed Kim an identical drink. She didn't know what the redhead preferred, so she had just ordered two of her favorite drink so it wouldn't go to waste if Kim rejected it. Unsurprisingly, the younger woman paid no attention to the drink, choosing instead to stare at Shego with a grim look on her face. Shego tipped the waitress and waited until she left to continue their conversation.

"I gotta admit, you and Stoppable were pretty tight." Shego spoke up after taking a sip of her green beverage. "And I'm not trying to replace him. I know you loved him and you still do. But you've gotta ask yourself," She leaned forward, looking into Kim's eyes which were filled with curiosity, hanging on the older woman's every word. "did you like it?"

Kim's face didn't so much as twitch, but behind that façade was a swirl of conflicting emotions and beliefs. The cognitive dissonance caused everything around her to fade away as she focused on that internal struggle, not sure which side of her she wanted to win. Her mind drifted back to Shego's comment that morning and reflected on it in light of the green woman's most recent question. The truth was that she _had_ liked it. Only Ron had made her feel the way Shego did the night before. And it was a good feeling.

Her mind, her heart, and her body all faced off in some imaginary arena in her mind. Her mind said that what happened last night was wrongsick. Her heart belonged to Ron. But her body was stronger than the other two. Her animal side had enjoyed what happened last night. Shego's question forced Kim to remove all the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, memories and history surrounding the event and focus on whether or not she liked it. She had one answer to that question.

"Yes," Kim said confidently as she looked Shego straight in the eye. "Yes, I did."

Shego smiled. "Then you have to ask yourself another question: why?"

Kim wracked her brain even further trying to come up with an answer to that one. Her hands gripped the sides of her head as she closed her eyes and focused in on the sound of her own breathing. Everything else drifted away and felt distant. She could hear her heart beating. Her mind searched and searched for the answer, but it was not there. She opened her eyes and lowered her arms, bringing her pupils into direct alignment with those of the woman across the table. Her mouth opened and she gave her answer.

"I don't know." She sounded uncertain. It was not a feeling she liked. For the girl who could do anything, she could not figure out why she suddenly found herself attracted to this woman who had killed her lover and tried to kill her on several occasions.

"You wanna know what I think?" Shego asked before taking another sip of her martini. Kim took the brief pause as her opportunity to nod. Shego put her now empty drink down on the table and grabbed the one that Kim had been ignoring this whole time. She picked it up and pointed it towards Kim in place of the index finger that she would normally have used to make such a gesture. "I think those feelings have been there a long time. You were just too afraid to act on them."

Kim's eyes widened with intrigue. She leaned forward and put her elbows on the table, resting her head on the backside of her hands as she continued to listen in wonder. She squinted her eyes slightly, trying to make sense of the pale woman's words. Shego took another sip of her martini and continued.

"You see," Shego spoke up, placing her drink back on the table. "You have to admit we feed off each other. Not as much as you and Stoppable used to, but the feelings are still there. And I think we'd be shortchanging ourselves if we didn't see where those feelings led."

"So what are you suggesting?" Kim asked, sitting up straight. "That we become 'enemies with benefits?'" Her voice had a sarcastic edge as she punctuated that last part with air quotes.

Shego let out a chuckle and picked up her drink. "If that's how you want to think of it," she said before taking a sip. The song that was playing ended and a new one began. Shego's face lit up. "Oh, I love this song!" Kim trained her ears on the speaker directly above the table. She was curious as to exactly what song it was that Shego liked. A strange synthesized voice formed a strangely enchanting rhythm and the lead singer spoke up.

_Once upon a time  
Not so long ago  
_

Kim knew this song. Who didn't? Bon Jovi was a world famous performer. She never dreamed Shego would be into this, though. The pale woman always preferred hip-hop. Then she remembered what Drakken had said that day, just before everything had gone sour. She also remembered Shego's response. The way she was moving her body in time with the beat suggested that she really did like the song. The fact that she chose to vocalize this made Kim wonder if Shego was trying to communicate some sort of message to her that she couldn't with just words. Kim continued to listen.  
_  
Tommy used to work on the docks  
Unions been on strike  
He's down on his luck, Its tough, so tough  
Gina works the diner all day  
Working for her man, she brings home her pay for love  
Ooh, for love  
_

Tommy and Gina. Those were the two most mentioned people in Bon Jovi's songs. Apparently their relationship was an inspiration to lead singer Jon Bon Jovi and he liked to sing about it. Whether or not they were real people Kim didn't remember. She wasn't the biggest expert on music, but their influence on the song was clearly felt. Perhaps the reason Bon Jovi chose to include them was that he thought of them as an inspiration to couples everywhere, heterosexual or not. Kim suddenly noticed the impeccable timing of the song. This is what Shego had been trying to tell her. She listened even more intently.

_  
She says we've got to hold on to what we've got  
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not  
We've got each other and that's a lot for love  
We'll give it a shot  
_

The words seemed to be speaking directly to Kim's soul. She had chosen last night to put aside the differences of their past and just act on what she couldn't deny, and it was one of the most pleasurable experiences of her life. So why should it matter now? Because her feelings should only be confined to that one night and she would have to live with the consequences the rest of her life? That was, as Ron would call it, "quitter talk." What would it matter if she just followed those feelings to their full extent and then just up and left when there was no more satisfaction to be gained? That's what Shego was proposing. She had never been one to quit at anything, and she wasn't about to. The confusion that had plagued her mind suddenly cleared up as the song broke into chorus.

_Oh, we're halfway there  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
_

So what if Shego had tried to kill her in the past? She wasn't trying to now, and that was what mattered. She and the older woman had made a connection the night before, and all the walls that had kept them separate for all those years had come tumbling down as their bodies became one. If Shego, a former villain, was willing to put aside the past to explore something that both of them were interested in, why shouldn't she? The second verse began to play and Kim and Shego exchanged a glance. Kim's eyes told Shego everything.  
_  
Tommy's got his six string in hock  
Now he's holding in when he used to make it talk so tough  
Ooh, its tough  
Gina dreams of running away  
When she cries in the night  
Tommy whispers baby its okay, someday  
_

For some reason, this song reminded Kim of what had happened between her and Shego rather than her and Ron. She still loved him, but she couldn't deny that her feelings on this matter were much deeper than a crush. It wasn't quite love, but it had potential. It was worth going after. Who cares what anybody else thought? This was the twenty-first century. Anybody who didn't approve of this sort of thing was either too closed-minded or too behind the times. Kim had never been either, and she wasn't about to start. She looked at Shego with sparkling eyes.  
_  
We've got to hold on to what we've got  
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not  
We've got each other and that's a lot for love  
We'll give it a shot  
_

They didn't speak any words, but the warm smiles that they exchanged spoke volumes. Once again, it took a song to get Kim to fall for Shego. Ron still had her heart, but Shego made her body tremble with excitement. She didn't know what it was about the pale-skinned villainess that attracted her, but she didn't care. She didn't really need to think about it as it only happened when she let go of rational thought and acted on emotion alone. She moved her body in time with the beat just like Shego was, and the two women continued to smile, holding each other's gaze. Both of them lip-synced the words of the second chorus.  
_  
Oh, we're halfway there  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
Livin' on a prayer  
_

The song entered a guitar solo and the two women stood to their feet. They walked towards each other like strangers in the dark, paying no heed to the people around them. Their matching eyes were locked in a lustful stare. They wanted each other. And this time neither one was hesitant. They wrapped their arms around each other and brought their bodies so close that one couldn't even slide a piece of paper between them. Their faces were inches apart. Each woman gazed into the soul of the other.

_  
Ooh, we've got to hold on ready or not  
You live for the fight when that's all that you've got_

"You really think we've got a chance?" Kim asked the older woman.

"I don't know," Shego answered. "But we'll find out, won't we?" Their lips met as the song broke into the final string of choruses.

_Whoa, we're halfway there  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
_

Kim poured all of her emotion into that kiss, holding back nothing. Shego did likewise, thrusting her tongue into the younger woman's mouth and fighting Kim's tongue for space. The world around them faded away as they lost themselves in the moment. All the events surrounding that one kiss became meaningless as pure bliss spread through the bodies of each woman. They did not notice the stares. They didn't notice the slack-jawed husbands who were receiving death glares from their wives. They didn't notice the spilled drinks, wide eyes, and general stillness of the room. All they knew was that this kiss was forever.

_Whoa, we're halfway there  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
_

"Alright, break it up!" the bartender called. "This isn't a gay bar! Take it next door!" He pointed towards the door.

Shego and Kim exchanged a glance and Shego seemed to ask Kim something with her eyes. The redhead nodded and smiled mischievously. Shego ignited her hand and flung a plasma bolt at the bartender, knocking him out cold. "Anybody else?" Shego called out to the rather shocked crowd of onlookers. Hands went up in surrender gestures and nervous mumbling was heard from all corners of the room as the occupants of the bar signaled that they wanted no part of this. Shego and Kim shrugged their respective shoulders and went back to lip-smacking as the song came to a close.

_Whoa, we're halfway there  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer  
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear  
Whoa-oa  
Livin' on a prayer_

* * *

_This is the longest song-based chapter I've written, running at just shy of 3,900 words. Of course, I had a lot to accomplish in this chapter. I hope you liked it. Wade's cameo appearance may have seemed a little short, but it will play a huge role in the story. I have one or two more chapters in this act and then we move on to the home stretch. Thank you all for your comments and reviews. I honestly didn't expect this story to get so much attention. I hope you all enjoy where I'm going with this. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**

* * *


	8. Enemies with Benefits

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**Chapter 8**  
Enemies with Benefits

Wade stared at his computer monitor that served as the only source of light in the room. His eyelids refused to close or even blink. His mouth hung open in shock, and his normally type-happy hands sat motionless on the keyboard. It was a stunner to say the least.

He had spent the last few days running a search for any and all details on an individual known as "The Reaper." Progress was slow as Wade only had the description given to him by Shego. He had expected for the investigation to involve Team Go, but he never expected The Reaper to be connected to… no. It couldn't be true. It wasn't possible! His mouth started to move and the 18 year old supergenius vocalized his only thought at that moment:

"Oh shit."

* * *

The now risen sun shone into Kim's apartment, waking her from her sleep. She let out a quiet moan and opened her eyes. Her gaze shifted to her immediate left and the sleeping woman that lay there resting peacefully. Unlike the previous morning, the redhead was not startled. Rather a smile crossed her lips as she watched the older woman sleep. Shego didn't look nearly as evil when she slept. Her pale face looked so innocent, so at peace. Her naked form expanded and contracted as the air entered and left her lungs. Kim found herself listening to the sound of Shego's breathing. It was so quiet, so soothing. She could not tear her eyes away from the woman with whom she had shared her bed last night, nor did she want to. Shego was beautiful. 

It was wrong, she knew. But they were two consenting adults and if they wanted to do this then that was fine with her. Kim had always said she could do anything, but leaving something half-done was not one of them. Even if every fiber in her being told her that this wasn't meant to last, she was intent on discovering exactly where these feelings would lead. It was somewhere between love and lust. She saw this as just a natural extension of the somewhat troublesome relationship the two had over the years. Kim realized that she had always harbored some sort of curiosity about this sort of thing, and even if she had only begun to act on these feelings recently, they had obviously been there a long time.

Kim had described this the night before as "enemies with benefits." She let out a soft chuckle as she thought about that. In her heart she still loved Ron, but Shego occupied a place all her own. Kim and Shego were just so much alike that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. Besides, Kim knew Ron wanted her to be happy. If that meant the temporary happiness afforded to her by an affair with an old enemy, then so be it. She knew that they had no chance in the long term, but instead of discouraging her, this motivated Kim to enjoy it as much as she could.

Kim and Shego just fed off of each other so naturally. It was mostly a physical attraction, but it was also mental and emotional. Not quite what she had felt with Ron, but it was worth pursuing. They both challenged each other to become better, and Kim would never have gotten to where she was in terms of world-saving were it not for Shego. Somehow their history became irrelevant and faded from view whenever their bodies united in sex. In those moments it did not matter that Shego had tried to kill Kim on several separate occasions, nor, for that matter, did it matter that she had killed Ron. For the first time in her life, Kim actually doubted that Shego killed him. Her plasma was harmful, sure, but she had been hit with it multiple times and walked away just fine. There had to be something bigger going on. Shego didn't kill. It just wasn't in her blood. Sure, she made death threats, but if she ever did kill anybody besides Ron no one had pinned it on her. It just wasn't her style. She couldn't have killed Ron; she looked so innocent.

Out of all the things that had happened in her life, the only steady factor besides Ron was Shego. She was always there to challenge her, and Kim always accepted the challenge gratefully. After Ron's death, her world had been shattered. She tried to hide behind cold professionalism, but Shego saw right through her and brought out Kim's true self, just like she always had. Out of all the crazy and uncertain things that had been going on in Kim's life lately, Shego was the one person she could count on. No matter what happened to her, Shego was always there. She couldn't quite replace Ron, but Kim didn't care. She didn't love the green woman, but she most certainly didn't hate her. Shego felt the same way, she was sure of it.

Kim propped herself up on her left arm and turned to face Shego. She brought herself closer to the green woman, absorbing the mutual warmth produced by the contact of their naked bodies. This all felt so right, even if her mind told her it was wrong. Her face was inches apart from Shego's. She closed the gap quickly as she woke the older woman with a soft kiss. Shego let out a slight moan and returned the kiss. Their tongues were intertwined in a sensual dance as the two women attempted to swallow each other whole. They broke the kiss after several pleasurable seconds and just stared at each other with glazed eyes and dazed smiles, incapable of coherent speech for the moment. Shego was the first to speak up.

"Man, that sure beats the hell out of waking up alone," she commented.

Kim smiled and a thought crossed her mind. "You wanna go again?" she asked.

Shego shrugged her shoulders and curled up one corner of her black lips into a smirk. "Sure, why not?"

Their lips met once more as Kim climbed on top of Shego and straddled the older woman, bringing their respective centers into contact. Their breath stuttered as each woman took a moment to appreciate the pleasure, then dove right back into lip smacking. Shego wrapped her right leg around the younger woman, drawing her closer. Kim leaned to the left and they fell over so that they were back in their original positions. They continued to kiss, only coming up for air when absolutely necessary. Kim traced her fingers down the older woman's thighs to her perfectly formed ass, then further down to her center. She was about to insert her fingers when…

BEEP-BEEP-BE-BEEP!

They broke the kiss and Kim looked back at her nightstand to see the Kimmunicator beeping. She let out a disgruntled sigh and reached for it with one arm still wrapped around Shego's neck. Shego grabbed Kim's hand before it reached the Kimmunicator.

"Maybe you should let that go to voice mail?" Shego suggested. Kim looked at her with an arched eyebrow. The green woman had just been channeling Monique lately, especially during last night's talk. She remembered the African American beauty saying the exact same thing the night of the junior prom. Normally this would have bothered Kim, but she had been able to do all this while still remaining true to her feelings for Ron. Bringing up the night that she realized those feelings did not weigh her heart down, but rather it brought up some very pleasant memories. She had been enemies with Shego at the time, even claimed to hate her, but now things were different. That night was in the past and it would stay there. She would not flip out over this.

BEEP-BEEP-BE-BEEP!

The infernal device once again interrupted Kim's thoughts. She let out a low growl and sat up, releasing Shego who did likewise. She grabbed the Kimmunicator and pushed the button so that Wade's face popped on the screen.

"Hey Ki—WHOA!" The eyes of the 18 year old supergenius shot open in surprise and Kim looked down and noticed her naked chest. Smiling sheepishly, Kim blushed a deep crimson and pulled the sheet over her bosoms, tucking it between her armpits.

"Sorry about that Wade," she laughed. Shego put her hand over her mouth and let out a silent giggle. The two women exchanged a mischievous glance and decided to have a little fun with Kim's old computer guy.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" the supergenius asked in his now incredibly deep voice.

"You could say that…" Kim answered with a tone of mischief.

"So who's the lucky man?" Wade asked, not sure if he really wanted to know.

Kim and Shego giggled a bit more as they looked at each other.

"Oh, I think you know them very well," Kim responded after a moment.

"Does Shego know?" Wade asked before taking a sip of his soda, which he would soon find to be a huge mistake.

"Hey, Nerdlinger," Shego spoke up as she leaned into view of the Kimmunicator.

Wade had aced Calculus at age 5, but it still took him a moment to put 2 and 2 together. When the reality of the situation dawned on him he did a spit take so hard he fell out of his chair, which he had done only once before, when Kim kissed Ron while under the influence of the Moodulator. He quickly climbed back into his chair and stared at the two women in wide-eyed shock.

"What the fuck did you two do last night?" Wade asked in a very panicked voice. He was obviously _very _upset to be using such language.

Kim and Shego looked at each other and burst out laughing. Wade looked at them like they were crazy. Shego stopped laughing long enough to inform Wade of the bad pun he had just made.

"I think you just answered your own question, Nerdlinger," She explained, and the two women went back to laughing hysterically. Their bouncing breasts made for an enticing sight, but Wade chose to lean back in his chair and scowl instead.

"Not funny," he mumbled.

They eventually ceased their laughter and each let out a contented sigh. "It's a little funny," Kim spoke.

"Just a little," Shego added, squeezing her thumb and index finger together.

"Whatever," Wade muttered as he crossed his arms and looked to the side.

"So what's the sitch, Wade?" Kim asked, finally deciding to be serious. Shego was not so willing to let go of the antics, however. She wrapped her arms around the younger woman's waist, placed her head on Kim's shoulder and looked into the Kimmunicator screen with humor dancing in her eyes.

"Yeah, what's the sitch Nerdlinger?" Wade's face distorted into a glare, and Kim turned to Shego and arched her eyebrow.

"Could you _try_ to come up with a more creative insult?" she prodded. Shego sat up and pondered this, tapping her finger against her chin as she did so.

"Hmm, how 'bout dorkwad?" she suggested. Wade growled. "Or Geekmeister?" she brainstormed again. A vein began to bulge in the large black man's forehead. Shego continued to list random combinations of the words "geek," "dork," "dweeb," and anything else that she felt described the overly-sensitive supergenius. Kim shot her an annoyed glare the entire time, but Shego didn't seem to notice. Eventually Wade had had enough.

"Look, let's just stick with Nerdlinger okay?" he boomed, causing both women to jump, which gave the supergenius a pretty interesting view. He smiled and let out a deep belly laugh.

"Careful now," Kim warned as she wagged her finger mockingly at Wade. "I don't want you getting any ideas. Especially if you're taping this. I don't want word getting out."

"It's a live feed," Wade assured her. "Straight to my computer, nowhere else." The two women breathed a sigh of relief. "And that's not why I laughed. You just reminded me of something, that's all."

"Reminded you of what?" Kim asked curiously. Wade chuckled.

"Think about it. You'll get it." he urged as he put his massive hands behind his head to support it while he leaned back in his chair.

Kim sat still and concentrated. Truth be told, she felt like she'd been in that situation many times before, only not with Shego. Instead it was with...

"Ron." Kim spoke up. She had never expected Shego to remind her of her late partner aside from the fact that she'd killed him (which she now doubted), but she was actually bringing up some very positive memories. She smiled. Maybe Shego and Ron had something in common after all. It gave her hope.

"What about the sidekick now?" Shego asked, snapping Kim out of her daze.

Kim let out a giggle. "Ron." she repeated. "Just now you reminded me of Ron."

Shego thought about it for a second and suddenly it all clicked. Her eyes widened in realization. Stoppable always did have a penchant for going on and on about something, oblivious to the fact that everybody wished he'd just stop. Of course, Shego was completely aware of the fact that they were glaring at her. She just did it to get on their nerves. She opened her mouth to say something incredibly sarcastic, then remembered what had happened the day before. She didn't want that to happen again. She decided to change the subject instead.

"So what did you call here for anyway?" Shego asked, graciously deciding to drop the "Nerdlinger" at the end.

"You're gonna want to sit down for this," Wade warned them. Kim and Shego exchanged a glance, then looked back to Wade.

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem, Wade," Kim commented as she lowered the Kimmunicator screen to show that her sheet-covered lower body was indeed resting firmly on the bed.

"I mean brace yourself," Wade rephrased. "cause this is gonna floor you."

Kim glanced at Shego with a certain uncertainty. Shego sensed what Kim was communicating silently and gave her the thumbs up that signaled she would be able to take the news about Hego and The Reaper. The two women had such an unspoken connection it was almost scary. But then again what woman didn't have that ability that eluded the understanding of men? Men were able to give each other nods and signals, but those usually had to be worked out beforehand. But women could communicate with their eyes. Even more so, it seemed, when those eyes matched. But then that wasn't the only feature they shared in common. The entire message was sent and received both ways in under 3 seconds. Kim turned back to face the computer genius who sat blissfully unaware of the unspoken conversation that had just taken place.

"Okay, shoot." Kim said in another one of her many catchphrases.

Wade nodded. "Well, I did some searching on The Reaper like you asked, and I managed to find a file. You'll never guess where."

Kim gulped, then spoke up nervously. "Where?"

"The GJ Personnel Database," Wade stated matter-of-factly.

"WHAT?!" Kim screeched. "He shouldn't be THERE!"

And he shouldn't have. The GJ Personnel Database was for people who worked_ for_ GJ, not against it. There was a completely separate database that formed a rogue's gallery of sorts with detailed profiles on every known villain. Why The Reaper didn't show up there was understandable. Most of GJ's enemies were Kim's enemies, and chances were that if she hadn't crossed paths with them, they probably hadn't either. Why he showed up in the Personnel Database, however, was beyond Kim's comprehension. She dropped the Kimmunicator and rubbed the sides of her head, trying to figure it out. Fortunately she didn't have to think for long as Wade spoke up with an explanation.

"Well, it says here he was part of some GJ operation called SUPERSTAR a couple decades back." He read as though it were merely a historical fact that had no significance in and of itself. Shego's eyes, however, shot open with horror at the mention of the name. She snatched the Kimmunicator from Kim and held it close to her face as though that would somehow make the answer she desired come faster. She gripped it tightly, almost cracking its sturdy frame.

"How long ago exactly?" She asked with panic in her voice. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her hyperventilating did not help matters any. Whatever had happened with The Reaper, it had the ability to strike terror even in Shego's battle-hardened heart. She waited for what seemed like an eternity as the computer genius searched for the information, his hands flying over the keyboard so quickly that individual keystrokes couldn't be distinguished from the others. Eventually he found what he was looking for.

"22 years, 11 months, three weeks, 6 days, two hours, ten minutes and twenty seven seconds," Wade rattled off quickly. Shego's eyes went even wider as she sat back down and just stared, shutting down her body's movement to focus on her mind. She finally managed to speak.

"That means tomorrow's the anniversary," she whispered in shock.

"The anniversary of what?" Kim asked. Shego did not answer and instead leapt from the bed and began searching for her catsuit. Kim eyed her with intrigue. Partly because the way she was bending over gave a nice view of her cherry (or in her case lime), partly because of the strange way she was behaving. It wasn't like Shego to completely freak out like this. Whatever scared her like this was of great concern to her new lover.

Finding her outfit, Shego turned around and said simply, "You don't wanna know." Her eyes told Kim that she really didn't, and it was best to drop the subject for now. She would bring it up later, once Shego had calmed down. Kim didn't like being left out of the loop, but if she really wanted to help she would have to respect the older woman's right to tell her when she was good and ready.

Shego pulled the clasp on her outfit closed. "All I'll tell you is I think it might have something to do with my brothers. We need to be in Go City yesterday."

Kim drifted off as she remembered how the subject of Shego going to save her brothers had been the start of all… this. She decided to help anyway she could. "Wade, you get that?" she asked of her ever reliable ride-provider.

"Hoverjet's on its way," he assured her.

"You rock in stereo, Wade." Kim hopped out of the bed and walked over to Shego, who couldn't help but examine the redhead's luscious form. "You know, Shego," she spoke up with a lustful look in her eye. "The hoverjet usually takes a few minutes to get here. And we never did get to finish earlier." She grinned mischievously, like the bad girl she was.

"What say we fix that?" Shego said with a leer of her own, already unzipping her catsuit. She still hadn't completely come down from her arousal earlier. Neither, she suspected, had Kim. Their lips met as they resolved to quickly finish what they had been so rudely interrupted from earlier.

* * *

After a brief lovemaking session, the slightly disheveled women made their way up onto the roof, where the hoverjet… er, hovered impatiently. They had taken a bit longer to get ready than expected. They hopped aboard and immediately the supercharged jet engines of the auto-piloted craft kicked in, rocketing them towards their destination. 

Chicago had always been known as "The Windy City," but in recent decades it had acquired the moniker of Go City due to the presence of the superhero family Team Go. Even after the team had broken up, the name had stuck.

Kim had been here once before. She had to call in a favor just so Ron could visit the Grand Opening of the world's first Super Grande-Sized Bueno Nacho. He had been more than a little disappointed at the lack of the Naco, and to make things worse Kim got caught up in a fight with a villain she didn't even know, but who apparently knew the restaurant manager very well. That's because the restaurant manager was… Hego. She didn't want to think about it. She knew that it was affecting Shego even more than her, and she would try to be here any way she could.

She looked over to the former hero turned villainess who had recently made the decision to be neither. It was clear that Shego had very little to hold onto, just like Kim. She appeared lost in thought, staring out the canopy at the world below. She adopted the classic "thinker" pose by supporting her chin with her hand which had been closed into a fist; not tightened like a fist, mind you, just in the shape of one. Every bit of her figure seemed relaxed, but Kim could tell that she was tensing up by the way she stared out the window. Her other hand was digging into her armrest, which provided another clue. Kim couldn't blame her. She had never expected to come back here either. Shego caught Kim staring at her and smiled. The former teen hero returned the smile. "What are you thinking about?" she asked Shego. The pale woman looked out the window at the distant silhouette of Go Tower then back to Kim.

"My brothers," she admitted. "I'm worried about them."

And she had every reason to be. Cursed with annoying brothers of her own, Kim knew Shego's predicament. But despite the fact that it was her brothers' purpose in life to irritate her in any way possible, she still loved them and was willing to sacrifice her life for them. The same, Kim suspected, was true of Shego. Despite her rather rocky past with them, they were still her brothers, and she would never forgive herself if something were to happen to them. After all, if she could make amends with her former worst enemy and enter into a "non-binding, quit-whenever-you're-not-happy" sexual relationship with her, how hard could it be to tell her brothers that their lives were in danger?

They had called to announce their arrival shortly after the hoverjet had left Middleton. One of the Wegos had answered the phone and Shego told them to ask Mego about The Reaper. When they asked why, she just told them that she had a feeling he may be coming for them. Mego had called back ten minutes later to say that he had gotten the message. Mego was slightly older than her, so naturally he remembered The Reaper as well. He told her that she was welcome anytime in light of the recent events. She thanked him and hung up the phone.

Now Shego sat silent, staring at the city below. Kim respected the fact that she didn't want to talk until they got there. It wasn't like she had much to add anyway. Kim radioed Go Tower for landing clearance, and one of the Wegos answered. "Good to have you back, sis. You too, Kim. Opening the hatch."

The landing bay was just barely wide enough to accommodate the hoverjet in addition to the multi-colored Team Go jet that looked as though it hadn't been used in ages. They stepped out of the cockpit to find Mego and the Wegos standing there waiting for them. Mego looked exhausted, clearly working himself half to death trying to keep everything running. Without Hego, they had literally and figuratively lost the strength that held the team together.

Shego walked up to Mego and gave him a rather somber, "Hey."

"Hello, sis," Mego whispered back, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that swirled inside.

"Hey, come here," Shego offered as she pulled him into a comforting hug. Her brother buried his face in her shoulder, sobs wracking his body as he poured all of his emotions into the green and black latex. Shego held him gently but tight enough to make him feel secure, to let him know that she was here for him, no matter what.

Death has a way of changing people. Shego's normally self-centered jerk of a brother had taken the burden on himself after Hego died, refusing as always to ask others for help. But as the weeks went on Mego realized that he wasn't as good of a team leader as he thought he'd be. It was just him and the Wegos now, and now he was forced to look to another for help. His sister, whom he had treated like a worthless pile of dog shit from the day she was born, was now the only one he could count on. "I can't do it…" he blubbered. "I can't do it anymore…" Shego knew what he meant. "Shhhh," she whispered in a comforting tone. "It's okay, I gotcha. Just let it all out."

Kim had never seen this side of Shego before. Then again, there were a lot of things about her old rival that she was constantly finding out. This was the strong, maternal side of Shego that reminded Kim so much of her own mother. She walked over to the Wegos and exchanged a rather awkward greeting with the two of them as they were all three focused on the weeping Mego and the nurturing, supportive Shego that had replaced the bitch she had behaved like last time she saw them. She was here to help, and everybody could see that, especially Kim, who had never been prouder of Shego.

Eventually Mego gathered himself together and they made their way to the main chamber with a giant TV screen and a round table with five color-coded seats. Shego took her seat in the classic green chair while Mego and the twins took their respective seats. Out of respect to the dead, Kim left Hego's seat unoccupied and stood by Shego's chair instead, resting her left arm on the raised back of the seat and leaning to one side. After an awkward silence, Kim and Shego began to relay everything that had happened up to this point, leaving out their new relationship because they didn't want to give the emotionally fragile Mego too much to swallow. By the time they finished, it was getting late, and both Kim and Shego were getting tired.

"Maybe we should get to bed and just discuss the rest in the morning," she suggested. Nods and quiet mumbling from around the table voiced their approval of that idea as the remaining members of Team Go left their seats and headed off towards their bedrooms.

"You can sleep in your old room, Shego," Mego told her. She nodded. "Where do you want to sleep?" he asked Kim.

"I want her to sleep with me," Shego spoke up, then blushed a deep green when that remark attracted stares from all three of her brothers as well as the woman right next to her. That had not come out right.

"Oh no, I meant I want her to sleep in the same room as me. For, um," The others just continued to stare at her awkwardly. She had to think of something quick. "Safety reasons."

"Safety reasons?" Mego asked, not knowing why Shego considered having her old worst enemy in the room as 'safe.' He suddenly remembered that classic line from _Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy_: "Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'safe' that I wasn't previously aware of." He did not vocalize this thought, but it fit the situation nonetheless.

"Uh, yeah, safety reasons," Shego repeated, her brain moving at light speed trying to figure out some logical excuse that would allow her to avoid telling them about their relationship until they were ready to handle it. She suddenly remembered her ankle bracelet. "You see," she spoke up in a faked edgy tone, "Princess here decided to put a landmine on my person that'll explode if we stay too far apart for too long. And I'd rather not be blown to pieces." It worked. Her brothers just mumbled a quiet "g'night" and retired to their respective rooms. Kim moved closer to Shego.

"Nice save," she commented as she brushed up against the older woman's side. "You know, I completely forgot about that ankle bracelet."

"Yeah, well it doesn't help that you can barely see it," Shego commented. By now they had walked into the older woman's room and were making ready to go to bed. "How did they get the explosive so small anyway? I thought Drakken's nano-tick technology wasn't legal."

"Oh there is no explosive," Kim replied, drawing a shocked glare from Shego. "It's just your standard tracking device. I just told you it was explosive so you wouldn't run off."

"Why you little—" Shego quoted from Homer Simpson as she made a grab at Kim's throat. Kim got up and let the older woman chase her around the room, giggling like a small child the whole time. Shego eventually caught the redhead and pinned her to her bed, breathing heavily.

"That was not funny!" Shego growled through clenched teeth.

Kim giggled. "It's a little funny." Her face was the epitome of bliss as she laughed like she hadn't in years. Shego couldn't stay mad at that face. She leaned down and gave Kim a kiss.

"You know they can hear, right?" Kim asked.

"Oh Kimmie, I had the walls soundproofed years ago for just such an occasion." She said those last four words in a lustful tone that made Kim quiver with excitement.

"Oh, well then that's okay," Kim replied before Shego covered her mouth with her own. She freed her arms and flipped Shego over so that now she was the one on top. The pale woman wrapped her leg around Kim's hip, pulling her closer. Kim's hand knocked over a few items on the nightstand before she finally clicked out the light.

* * *

_Whew! That one took all day to type. I hope you enjoy. I think this is one of the more original chapter titles I've come up with. I wanted to do a feel-good KiGo chapter where both characters seem OOC but no one cares anyway. The next chapter will be the end of act two, and then we'll hit the home stretch that is act three. I plan to use four songs by Linkin Park that really sum up what I'm trying to accomplish in each of those chapters. Hopefully I'll get those done the way I want them to be. It's going to get darker from this point on, and there will be no more feel-goods like this. I just wanted to give it to you so that if you didn't like the ending you could just read this and get that warm feeling that comes with the lighter tone that I've employed for this act. I'm going to warn you right now: this will not end happily. Kim and Shego will be torn apart by forces beyond their control. Who exactly those forces are we will find out next. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**

* * *


	9. Somewhere I Belong

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_**Somewhere I Belong** is performed by Linkin Park_

_I don't usually leave beginning notes, but seeing how long this chapter is I figured some introduction was required. This chapter has a bit of everything: action, psychodrama, smuff, humor, and even references to generic slasher flicks. It's really long, but that's because I had a lot to accomplish. This took me three whole evenings to pound out. I have expanded the second act to include three more chapters, then I'll get started on Act 3. This is the beginning of a sequence of three song chapters. The other two will be relatively short, but the reason that this is so long is because I had to introduce conflict and I only had so many chapters to do it in. It's funny; for a song that only lasts 3 minutes 33 seconds I have a chapter that's over 9,000 words (which effectively nullifies KiY's argument that I let songs restrict me). I'm really investing a lot in this story. So without further adieu, I present to you the fruits of my labors. Enjoy._

**Chapter 9**  
Somewhere I Belong

* * *

_Short is the joy that guilty pleasure brings.  
_-Euripides

* * *

Shego opened her eyes to find herself in a vat of liquid. It wasn't water. It was something else. The viscosity was the same, but there was something amiss. Her face barely floated above the surface of the mysterious lime-green liquid that held her captive.

She was on some sort of operating table, being dissected like an animal. Or at least she was about to be. A shadow approached her in the darkness. The lights shining directly above Shego were too bright to allow her to see anything more than a silhouette. The shadow did not seem human, even though the outline suggested that she most clearly was. But it was only an outline. The figure was like a spectre, haunting Shego as it gazed dispassionately upon her naked form.

Shego struggled to break the bonds that held her tightly against the table. But it was futile. She was going to be cut open and taken apart piece by piece, organ by organ all while completely conscious. She recalled the famous scene from _Braveheart _where William Wallace had suffered the same fate. She would not cry for freedom and die a martyr. She would become free and set an example.

"You are no longer necessary," the ghostly shadow spoke ominously. "You are only meant for one more thing. Hopefully the next candidate for Operation SUPERSTAR will be more successful. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten." The words were cold and unfeeling. Shego felt like a lab rat caught in a trap. She continued to struggle against her restraints to no avail. The liquid was somehow designed to disable her glow powers, so that was out of the question as well. If she could just get her hands above the liquid…

Even if it were physically possible to do so, Shego was certainly in no shape to perform such a feat. She had been beaten and tortured over the past few days for reasons known only to those who had done this to her. Now the reason was perfectly clear: she was a failed experiment.

Even though her body had given up, Shego's mind still raged with unbridled fury. How dare they take away her humanity! How dare they treat her like an animal! She would escape before they made the first incision. She just had to get her hands far enough out of the liquid to activate her glow powers, and she would be able to break free.

"Make sure she stays alive until we've gotten what we need," the shadow said to another. "Then do with her as you please." The figure exited through an airlock at the end of the room.

One of the other shadows grabbed a saw that would be used to make the incision in Shego's tougher-than-normal skin. She thrashed violently in an attempt to break free as the instrument came closer. The doctor seemed to be dragging it out to allow the fear to overtake her. But it was not fear that occupied the green woman's mind. No, it was rage. Rage at what they had done to her. Rage at how they had imprisoned her like an animal and stripped her of her humanity and everything else. But most of all, it was rage at being betrayed by those with whom she had entrusted her life. As the rotary saw edged closer, her survival instincts kicked in and her adrenaline-powered arms broke the chains that held her without even needing to use her powers. Shego leapt from the tub and ignited her hands, burrowing them deep into the chest of the one who had tried to disembowel her. She made quick work of the other mad doctors as well.

The woman who had been speaking to her earlier suddenly appeared on a giant television screen that illuminated the dark room. She had short brown hair and an eye patch over her left eye. She opened her mouth and spoke two words:

"Get her!"

Agents swarmed in from all directions, but they were no match for the super-powered woman whose nudity actually gave her the advantage of increased mobility, in addition to providing an ample distraction. The agents raised their laser rifles to fire, but she took out half their stock with a wide shot of her plasma. She destroyed the rest of the still unfired laser rifles and stood in the center of the agents who encircled her with a vengeful look in her eye that held an animalistic edge. Shego grinned devilishly as she eyed them hungrily like prey.

Making a sudden leap, she took down three agents in a single swipe. The other agents began to move in response, and Shego lashed out with a devastating spin kick as she turned around, knocking them into each other like bowling pins. She slashed, punched, kicked, bit, and scratched, and soon there were no agents left conscious in the room. She stood proudly on a pile of her conquered foes.

More agents came pouring in, and rather than fight them Shego simply made a mad dash for the rapidly closing airlock. She made a sudden dive to avoid the hail of laser fire and slid backwards under the door, raising her middle finger at them the entire time. The door closed and she ran off through another door out into the bitter cold.

* * *

Shego sat up in her bed with a gasp, her eyes wide open in panic. Her body was covered in sweat. Her breathing was shallow and accelerated. Her heart threatened to leap from her chest. Using breathing techniques afforded by years of martial arts training, Shego calmed herself down.

She looked at the alarm clock to her left. "2:00" it read. Shego let out a tired groan and rubbed her eyes. The details of her dream were already slipping away, but she remembered what it was about. That was what she didn't want Kim to have to find out.

Kim. Shego looked down to her right and saw the redhead sleeping, blissfully unaware of the terrors that haunted Shego's past. Shego smiled as she thought of the younger woman's relative innocence. Kim always had a tendency to see the world in terms of black and white. That had of course changed in recent years. It was during those years of the former teen hero's youthful idealism that Kim and Shego would never have fallen for each other. But now that was different.

Even though she had slept with both men and women, Shego never dreamed in a million years that she'd be having an affair with her former arch-enemy. They really had hated each other back then. Kim hated Shego for being evil, Shego just didn't like the cheerleader's bossiness and general misunderstanding of the concept of shades of gray. But people change.

Kim reminded Shego so much of herself when she was younger. Her spunk, fiery temper, and passion for what she did made Shego feel like she was looking in a mirror. Kim was her equal in every way. They didn't exactly see eye-to-eye where morals were concerned, but that didn't matter in a relationship that was about nothing but physical pleasure. They were not lovers, they were just bedmates. That's how Shego saw it anyway. The bedroom was the one place where they could come together on equal terms, where nothing else mattered, where the complicated history between the two women faded into the background as their bodies became one. But that was it. It wasn't about trying to find true love; it was about fucking. They were two mature adults who desired sex and were willing to give it to each other. Shego would quit when she was no longer satisfied. That's just how these things worked.

On a non-sexual level, Shego found herself somewhat interested in Kim. It was like interacting with a younger version of herself: Kim still had a lot to learn but possessed a confidence and fighting spirit that refused to give in to anyone except those she decided to trust. Shego saw herself as a sort of mentor to Kim in terms of educating her that the world was not split strictly into camps of good and evil. There were no moral absolutes. The world was drawn in shades of gray. Kim had only started to realize this in the last few years, and it had been Shego who had opened her eyes.

Well, indirectly of course. In killing Kim's lover, Shego had left the door wide open for Betty Director to come in and warp the girl's devastated psyche into that of a ruthless soldier. But Shego had been wise enough to see through that façade and unlock the person underneath. That time it was a direct intervention on Shego's part. She knew Dr. Director better than Kim did. What the redhead saw and the morally questionable acts the one-eyed woman was capable of were two completely different things, and Shego had witnessed the latter far too often. Shego had a Utilitarian view of life, but she never used people as a means to her own ends, which meant that some part of her Kantian upbringing at the hands of Hego had stuck with her. Dr. Director on the other hand saw people as pawns on a chess board, and she was the chessmaster. Shego had been one of those pawns. So had Kim. But she had saved the redhead and kept her from losing herself forever. She hoped that Kim would never have to go through what she had.

Shego couldn't help thinking that if things had gone differently, she and Kim may have ended up being close friends. The redhead was actually a fun person to be around when they weren't fighting, which they weren't as much. She had changed for the better, and Shego had herself to thank for that. She had shown Kim the world through a set of new eyes, and the former teen hero had taught Shego a thing or two about hospitality and forgiveness. That was why they clicked so well, not as a couple, but as two people who genuinely enjoyed each other's company. Shego found herself thinking about all those years she had spent hating that bossy, stuck up cheerleader and not seeing the truly wonderful person that Kim was underneath. A person who reminded her of herself.

'_But it's still just a fling_,' she reminded herself, trying not to get so caught up in her thoughts that she would be unable to separate the sex from her emotions. Then it occurred to Shego why this situation worked: it wasn't because of emotional detachment and pure physical pleasure, but the catharsis and emotional release that the sex provided. Shego and Kim could channel all of their feelings, good or bad, into sex and in so doing refresh themselves emotionally and feel like new. It was a dynamic that had previously found expression through their numerous fist fights, but the difference was that fighting only bred more anger. It was pure aggression, nothing more. But sex combined aggression with cooperation, so that each person could help the other to vent and feel better while the other person did the same for them. This is why sex was better suited to those who were in love, but Shego had to admit she felt a lot better after sleeping with Kim, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. It was a way of escaping reality. Sex enabled people to act on all of their wildest and basest desires without fear of retribution. The intimacy it afforded was unparalleled in any other activity, and it provided an avenue for Kim and Shego to get forget about their troubles for one more night.

But the "honeymoon" phase that they were in would not last forever. Soon they would desire more than just sex, and Shego couldn't trust herself to let go if that happened. She hated getting attached to people. She had only done so once, with Drakken. The mad scientist was the closest thing to a father Shego had ever known, and losing him burned yet another hole in her Swiss-cheesed heart. Eventually the pleasure would end and she would be forced to deal with what she had been running away from. She had to be fair to Kim. She looked down at the redhead who slept so peacefully, without a care in the world. It would devastate her, she knew, but it had to be done. She didn't want to lead her on, but she also wanted to be fair to her. Shego knew she wasn't right for Kim. She deserved someone who could truly love her; someone who could truly appreciate her and show her all the love that Shego would never be able to provide. Someone like Stoppable.

Why Shego suddenly found herself thinking about the deceased sidekick she didn't know. Nor did she understand why Kim would choose to even be in this sort of relationship given what had happened to him. What she did know is that those two were made for each other, and she didn't want to come between the girl and her connection to the one thing in her life that had given her hope. Shego knew that Kim still retained those feelings for Stoppable and was using her as an outlet to express those feelings. That became apparent the previous morning when Kim had compared Shego to her deceased lover. She had to wonder: was Kim pretending that Shego was Ron? That would make a lot more sense, but at any rate this whole situation was not healthy. It had to end at some point. Kim belonged with Stoppable. They were soulmates. Shego was just a bedmate; a temporary replacement to fill the void in the younger woman's heart.

But she had to take her own heart into consideration. She knew that Kim's warrior spirit would enable her to eventually get over it and get on with her life, but Shego had nothing. Kim had the promise of true love continued in the afterlife, and what did Shego have to show for the numerous relationships that she'd been in? Nothing but burnt bridges and broken hearts. She longed for true love, but she knew that she could never find that with a person whose heart belonged to somebody else.

Then it dawned on Shego. She loved Kim Possible. She didn't know how to explain it or what it was, but it was deeper than anything she had ever felt before. She was not attracted to Kim's body, but rather her soul and spirit that reminded Shego so much of her own. Mere words could not explain this feeling that blossomed inside Shego's heart, but it was as close to love as she had ever felt. She never thought her heart would open again after that terrible event six years ago. But here she had found love. Love for the woman who had always been there to offer her a challenge. Love for the woman who inspired her to become better than what she was. Love for the woman who had never given up on her and had shown her that there is good in all people.

But she could never have her. Shego could never fill the hole that had been left in the younger woman's heart after the loss of her beloved, at her hands, no less. She could never express that love; never show Kim exactly how much she completed her and filled the void in her own heart. She could not do it because Kim's heart belonged to Ron Stoppable, who refused to leave her even in death. Shego didn't want to ruin that. For as much as she wanted to find love for herself, she knew that the redhead needed someone who could make her truly happy. All Shego could offer was an empty heart that had been broken too many times to ever be whole again.

It's said that if you truly love someone, you have to let them go. Shego had never realized the simple, painful truth of that statement until now. It tore her apart inside. She knew that Kim needed someone who could truly show her all the love that Shego felt but was unable to give. For the first time in her life, she resigned herself to her fate and decided not to fight it. She did not want to get in the way of true love. She would pay the price, but she would at least spare Kim the misery of having her life ruined by someone who was unable to truly love her. Shego placed her hands over her head and collapsed back onto the pillow, still unable to sleep. She would break the news to Kim as soon as she saw an opportunity. She slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In the corner of the room there stood a man in a black and purple uniform. He was only a few inches tall, short enough to be hidden from view. Shrinking really did come in handy sometimes. He stood staring at the bed where the two women slept, one who rested peacefully, the other who tossed and turned in discomfort. Most of their bodies were hidden from view, but enough skin was showing to make it obvious what had transpired that night. 

Mego grinned to himself. A few years ago he would have been freaked out about this, but for some reason he found himself happy for his sister. It was not like him to be thinking of others, but Hego's death had changed something in him and if there was one thing he'd learned from trying to fill his older brother's role as the team leader, it was that selfishness was not always a virtue. It had occurred to him that until that point in his life he was trapped in a perpetual egocentric state that made him no different than a toddler. Filling Hego's larger-than-life shoes required Mego to grow up in a hurry. He had to realize that other people had lives of their own, and it was this realization that allowed Mego to finally cross the threshold from childhood into the world of rational thought. Better late than never.

Mego had taken the time to think the situation over. He had not been there for the actual act that he knew had taken place, but the peaceful expression on each woman's face as they slept in such close proximity to each other was all the evidence Mego needed to convince him that this might be a good thing. If his sister was happy, he was happy, a far cry from how he used to be. But this was the new Mego. A Mego who cared about other people. He knew in his heart that he should not try to ruin this. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun…

* * *

Kim and Shego woke up the next morning to a loud "GONG!"

Both women jumped like cats whose tails had just suffered a cruel fate at the hands of a rocking chair. Their gritted teeth and wide-eyed expressions drew attention away from their exposed breasts, though the Wegos could not help but be intrigued by the fact that Kim's bosoms were not really all that pointy. Must have been the bras she wore. They didn't have much time to examine them, however, as she quickly pulled the sheets up to cover herself, fully exposing Shego in the process. Mego and the Wegos looked away in horror, clamping their eyes shut and putting their hands in front of their faces in a synchronized gesture.

"I think I'm gonna need therapy," one of the Wegos spoke up.

"Yeah, and you're gonna need stitches if you don't get the hell out of my room right now!" Shego yelled as she ignited her hands and leapt from the bed, an event that her brothers in their self-imposed blindness thankfully missed. Kim saw _everything_, however. It was a good view.

Mego laughed, still covering his eyes, "Alright sis, just meet us downstairs for breakfast." He and the Wegos turned to leave the room. One of the Wegos forgot to memorize the location of the door and bonked his nose against the wall. He opened his eyes, remembering not to look at his naked sister, and found the door, holding his now bleeding nose. All three of them were still laughing hysterically despite the mishap.

Shego stood still for a moment with a blank, slightly surprised look on her face, staring at the door through which her brothers had just exited. Kim, still sitting on the bed, did likewise. After a moment Shego spoke.

"That's it?" she asked rhetorically. "No freaking out? No fainting? Not even the slightest bit of outrage?" This was truly perplexing to Shego. She was unable to move from her position. Her mind seemed to be taking precedence over bodily movement. Her only movement was the slight twitching on her face that indicated some deep (or not so deep) thinking was going on.

"Maybe they're just in shock?" Kim suggested with uncertainty.

Shego looked at her and just shrugged. "Guess we'll find out at breakfast," she replied as she bent over to pick up her catsuit. Kim adjusted her position so that she was lying flat on her stomach, elbows supporting her chin with her hands spread out like an open book. She stared intently at the older woman and licked her lips.

Shego turned around and caught Kim eyeing her lustfully. "God Princess, there just is no 'off' button with you, is there?"

"I just think you look really hot bending over like that," Kim responded as she adjusted her position to where she was sitting Indian-style on the bed, revealing her fuzzy center for the older woman to see. She was a natural redhead.

"You really want to do _it_ after what just happened?" Shego asked incredulously. After being literally exposed to her brothers, there was no way she was just going to jump back into bed with Kim. Although she did look rather cute… no. Business before pleasure.

"Maybe later, Kim," Shego said as she tried hard not to be turned on by Kim's luscious naked body. She failed.

Kim decided to deploy her secret weapon and struck full force with the Puppy Dog Pout. Shego's eyes widened in terror. This was not a card she expected the redhead to play. She looked so adorable as she gazed at Shego with those big, pleading eyes, that quivering lower lip, not to mention the interesting cleavage that came as a result of the way her arms were positioned.

"Pwease?" she cooed as she focused the intensity of her gaze. Shego tried to look away, but it was like a train wreck; a very cute train wreck. Like a train full of teddy bears that suddenly derailed, spilling tons of fluff all over the sides of the tracks… where was she?

Oh, right, trying to resist the PDP. But that face would not be ignored. Eventually Shego lowered her shoulders in defeat.

"Fine," she sighed. "But make it quick. I wanna get done before my brothers start to suspect us."

"Oh, we can just tell them we were getting dressed," Kim offered.

"Whatever," Shego muttered as she pressed her lips to Kim's.

* * *

After a few more minutes of "getting dressed," the two women ventured downstairs and were greeted with what most people would have found to be a strange sight. To them, it was just a bunch of Wegos preparing a veritable feast for everybody. They ignored this rather mundane detail and just sat down at the table to await their food. Mego sat across from them, a huge smile plastered across his face. He was still gloating about his little triumph earlier.

"So what exactly is the 'sitch' between you two?" he asked, gesturing with the coffee mug that he held in his right hand. He took a sip as he awaited their answer.

The two women glanced at each other nervously, each secretly hoping the other would speak up first. After several overlapping attempts to start an answer, Shego eventually formed an all-encompassing response: "We fuck."

Mego was a bit intrigued by the simple answer. Shego always did have the ability to take a complicated situation and simplify it into five words or less. "Go on," he prodded.

"Well, pretty much what she said," Kim seconded, even though she liked to think that it was a bit more than that. "It's just HLS." She had spent _way _too much time around Monique.

"HLS?" the half-dozen Wegos called in unison, looking up from the breakfast they were making.

"Hot Lesbian Sex," Shego translated, and the mass of Wegos simply nodded and gave an understanding "Ah," before going back to preparing the meal.

"And this works for you?" Mego asked. Kim and Shego were both surprised and amazed at Mego's complete change in personality. He actually seemed to _care_. Shego guessed that it was due to the fact that Hego's death had forced him to take charge. She had always felt that if he were to overcome his egocentrism, the confidence he possessed in himself would make him a great leader. He had obviously crossed that hurdle. He did not resemble the old Mego in the slightest. His sudden maturity gave him insight. He was acting less like a brother and more like a… father.

Even though Mego was only a year older than her, Shego now felt as though she were speaking to a man twenty years her senior. Mego had begun to focus less on himself and more on the other people around him whom he had ignored for thirty years. Shego thought it was a good change. Even Hego had trouble stepping into the role of head of the household, of course that was because he'd only been 17 at the time. Mego, however, fit into that role quite well. He had been through a lot, and he had come out of it a stronger person. That he was taking this whole thing in stride was of great comfort to Shego. She finally had someone else she could count on.

"Well, yeah." Kim answered, interrupting Shego's quiet musings. "I mean, it's better than being alone."

"So that's just it?" Mego replied in a voice that sounded as though he was trying to make them second-guess themselves. "No emotions, no nothing? Just pure physical pleasure?"

"Well, there's some emotion involved," Shego spoke up. "It's just that we try not to think too much. Ruins the moment."

Mego nodded and let out a knowing "Mm." He picked up his spoon and began to put more sugar into his coffee. He stirred it slowly, letting the two women sit there in awkward, but welcome silence. It gave them a chance to think. Shego didn't like having to explain this sort of thing to other people, but the relaxed approach that her suddenly mature brother was taking to all this was of some comfort. She could tell that Kim was thinking the same thing from the way her gaze remained fixated on the sight of Mego stirring the coffee. Shego realized that it was not the coffee that captivated the redhead's attention, but the person stirring it. Even in her limited exposure to Mego, Kim had learned all she needed to know about his former self as it formed the first two letters of his name: "Me." But Shego knew that Kim was identifying herself with another person who had lost a loved one and been changed because of it. Except that where Kim had holed up inside and attempted to suppress her feelings, Mego was forced to face his problems head on because the twins still needed someone to support them. If Kim had had that something to hold onto, then perhaps she would have done the same. Shego thought about the last few days and realized that because of her, Kim _had_ done that. She was no longer stuck up or bossy as much, and her good qualities were further enhanced. That's why she loved her.

'_No_,' Shego thought to herself. '_You have to be fair to her. A person that wonderful doesn't deserve someone like you. You don't have enough to offer._' And Shego really believed that she didn't have enough to bring to the table. For everybody who had changed since Hego's death, Shego was the one person who stayed the same. And it was not a good thing. She was still the same pessimistic, angry, abusive bitch that she had always acted like and eventually become. Sure, she acted differently on the surface, but had her core attributes really changed? She was still unwilling to trust anybody, including the woman with whom she had shared her bed; the same woman that she loved. At least Shego thought it was love. But it was a love she would never be able to give. She and Kim had their moments, like this morning, but there was too much bad history for this to work. Shego had to be fair to Kim. She couldn't allow herself to ruin the girl's life by leading her to believe that they had a chance. She just had to find the right moment to break it to her.

Shego's thoughts were interrupted when one of the Wegos set a plate in front of her and another poured her a drink. The other four did the same for Kim and Mego. They recalled the copies of themselves and each grabbed a plate of their own. Mego stopped stirring his coffee long enough to thank them and turned to Shego.

"Look," he began, staring straight into his sister's eyes with a supportive expression on his face. "You don't have to tell me how all… 'this,'" he gestured towards Kim and Shego, "happened, I just want you to know that if you ever need us, we're here for you. Even if we haven't been in the past, we are now."

Shego was too touched for words. "T-Thank you," she finally managed to stammer. Besides Kim, she thought she had no one else in the world on whom she could depend, but Mego's selfless (for once) gesture moved her almost to tears.

The touching moment was soon ruined when one of the Wegos, in his classic adolescent male curiosity, asked, "So how _did_ it happen?" He raised his eyebrows up and down in a thinly disguised attempt to let them know exactly what he was talking about. The fact that he was looking at both Kim _and _Shego was what made it disturbing. All the eyes around the table flashed him a unified angry glare. Well, all except those of his twin, who just elbowed him in the ribs and laughed, "Perv."

The Wego who had spoken blushed a deep red when he realized the connotations of what he had just said. He had been so excited at the proposition of hearing how good Kim was in the sack that he had forgotten his sister was involved. He sunk into his chair, crossed his arms and mumbled, "Not what I meant."

Order resumed at the breakfast table and they discussed what they had planned to do that day. The Wegos had managed to score tickets to Linkin Park's reunion tour. Shego was less than enthusiastic. "Oh come on, they haven't been good since _Meteora_," she spoke up, referencing the last decent album of theirs. " All they do nowadays is crappy remixes. Besides, didn't they break up when that rapper guy formed Fort Minor?"

"Well," one of the Wegos spoke. "That's why they're calling it a reunion tour. And they're singing all their classics. No remixes. All originals." Kim felt left out. She knew that Shego loved music, but sometimes the green woman's tastes confused her. She only knew Linkin Park by name, but she knew Ron had listened to them at one point. She didn't care for the band, but if Shego liked it, then it must have some significance to her. She tried to communicate that by suggesting they go with. All the eyes at the table were suddenly focused on her.

"Why Kimmie?" Shego asked with genuine curiosity. "Do you like them?" She had not quite gotten the redhead's message yet.

"Well, no," Kim admitted. "But listening to you talk about it I can tell that you do. And, I don't know… since it was a song we listened to that made… 'this,'" She moved her hands back and forth between them, "possible, maybe I just want to know why. What significance it has to you."

"I _have_ always liked listening to them," Shego acknowledged. Message received. She turned to the Wegos. "You think you can score us some more tickets?" The twins flashed her a thumbs up.

"Excellent," Kim said. "Mego, what about you?"

The purple-suited man shrugged. "I think I'm a little too old to be going to concerts." Shego arched her eyebrow. "I mean, women are always welcome, but I'd just be the creepy old guy," he said in a quick save. Shego's piercing gaze relaxed. "I think I'll just stay here and wait for updates on the case. You all go have fun. I'll stay here."

"Sounds like a plan," Kim spoke up as her mind suddenly drifted off as to what she should wear.

* * *

_Later that night _

Shego stood by the door waiting for Kim to come down. The redhead sure took a long time to get ready for a concert that wasn't very high class anyway. Shego had gone with a black hoodie with a green skull on the front to blend in with the crowd that would be there tonight.. Her pants were, of course, green. Kim had suggested that she tie her hair back in a ponytail, but Shego shot that idea down like the Red Baron on the six o' clock of a Sopwith Camel. She tapped her foot impatiently. The Wegos were already out in the car, waiting for a good ten minutes so far. They had chosen to go out in their street clothes tonight, and they wore matching red shirts with black leather jackets and dark jeans. Each Wego wore a chain around his neck, one silver and one gold so that people could tell them apart. Shego could tell that certain girls were going to be fawning over them tonight, even if they were her brothers.

Shego turned to face the stairs. She cupped both hands over her mouth. "Come on Kim, let's go! This isn't the prom!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming," Kim called before appearing at the top of the stairs. Shego's jaw dropped in amazement.

Shego had told Kim not to look like an Abercrombie & Fitch commercial tonight, but she never expected the redhead to pull off the "bad girl" look so well. Examining the girl from the bottom up, Shego saw that Kim now wore heavy combat boots with leather tight pants in place of her normal cargoes. The thin straps of a fiery red thong extended several inches above her hips. Her normally exposed midriff was now even more so as Kim wore only a red handkerchief to cover her breasts under an open-chested sleeveless leather vest. Her hair hung down from the black biker's beret that was circular in shape and formed a small shiny leather bill in the front. She had put on enough mascara to pass for a raccoon, and her normally pink lips had been painted a deep lustful red. All in all, she looked like a stripper. She definitely wasn't going to blend in even at a Linkin Park concert, but Shego guessed that that wasn't her intention. The green woman looked down at her hoodie. For once _she _was the one conservatively dressed.

Twirling the chain that hung from her right hip as she descended the staircase, Kim captivated Shego's attention the whole way down the stairs. She smiled at the slack jawed woman and planted a huge kiss on her lips, seductively caressing the green woman's body. They separated after a few moments and Shego stared at the younger woman with glazed eyes. "Wow," she breathed. They continued to stare into each other's eyes until the sound of a car horn snapped them back into reality.

"Guess we'd better get going," Kim suggested.

"Yeah," Shego agreed. "Bye Mego," she called as she waved to her sibling, who had changed into his bathrobe in preparation to go to bed. Mego waved back. As the two women walked out the door, he heard a cry of "HOLY SHI—" followed by a long sounding of the car horn. Mego chuckled. Apparently one of the Wegos had seen Kim and passed out. He looked out the window sipping on his tea as he watched them fly off in a small hovercraft.

After gazing out the window for a couple of minutes, he decided to head on up to bed. He moved to turn out the lights when they went out all by themselves. "Weird…" he mumbled to himself as he flicked the light switch up and down to no effect. "What the…" he spoke to nobody. Oh well. Probably just a temporary power outage. He could worry about it in the morning. He headed to where he knew the stairs to be when he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

It was only there for a second, but Mego swore he could see a pair of glowing red eyes. A chill ran up his spine. Was it real? It was probably just his imagination. He really needed sleep. He started to head up the stairs when he looked up and saw the glowing red eyes again, only this time they stayed constant. It was just light enough that Mego could see the dark silhouette of a figure in a massive tattered black cloak. It was blowing in some undetectable breeze. In his hands he held a scythe that gleamed in the moonlight. Mego froze.

There was only one thing to do when one encountered The Reaper: run. Run your ass off. Mego dropped his favorite mug, shattering the picture of Team Go in the old days. He started to back up slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. When he felt that he had put enough distance between him and The Reaper, he turned and started to run, only to find the spectre in front of him again. He skidded to a terrified stop and barely activated his shrink powers in time to dodge the Kafziel as it The Reaper swung it viciously. Mego returned to normal size and took off running again, trying desperately to find the front door in the darkness. The Reaper seemed to vanish and then reappear suddenly right in front of Mego. He was too stunned to scream, and he shrunk to avoid another swipe and ran under a door.

It was now even darker than before. Mego's breath was heavy and exhausted, and his eyes darted every which way even though he couldn't see a thing. His heart raced and the blood pumped through his veins at an accelerated rate. He could hear nothing save for the sound of his breathing and his heart, both of which continued to pick up speed as panic threatened to overtake him. Mego tripped over various objects in the darkness, cursing silently to avoid being noticed any further. Eventually he succeeded in finding a door and he opened it with his glow power. As the door hissed open, Mego had no time to react as a blade gleaming in the moonlight barreled towards his face. It was the last thing he saw.

* * *

Shego felt a cold shiver run through her spine as they approached the gates of the amphitheater. She visibly shivered. Something terrible had just happened. She felt lightheaded and faint. She would have collapsed but for the redhead standing next to her, who caught Shego just as her legs gave out.

"Shego, what's wrong?" Kim asked, suddenly concerned.

Shego put her hand on her forehead as she tried to regain control of her senses. "It's nothing," she insisted as she shook it off. But the thought was still in the back of her mind.

Kim said nothing but continued to stare with concern at the pale woman who had grown even more pale, if that was even possible. She was about to open her mouth when the Wegos finally caught up.

"There you are," Kim spoke up. "I was afraid I might have killed you."

"Yeah, yeah, you could have warned me," he declared with an accusing finger.

"Whatever," Kim sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Let's just get inside. I wanna party." A thought crossed Shego's mind that insisted that Kim did not talk like that. The redhead never "partied." Sure, she would go to major events or cool hangout places, but the only time that she had gone to a party had also been the time when she lied to her parents to do so. That was so not… not… Kim-like. She didn't like this.

The group began to walk once more towards the amphitheater. When they arrived they found two gigantic men guarding the entrance. One of the men extended a hand the size of Shego's face and said simply, "tickets."

The Wegos produced two tickets from their pockets. Kim and Shego stuck out their hands to grab them, but instead the Wegos just handed them to the security guard who lifted the rope to admit them. Kim and Shego stopped the traitors, however. "I thought you said you could get us more tickets," Shego growled.

"We did," one of them mentioned. "We just 'forgot' them at home after your girlfriend damned near gave me a heart attack."

Shego's fists ignited and she made a swipe at the Wego, but was quickly restrained by the large security guard. "No fighting on the premises," he warned. She disengaged her power and stood there glaring daggers at the smug twins, who passed through the entrance with a smirk on their faces. Kim had an equally enraged glare.

"There is _no way_ I am going to be left outside while those two jerks get to have all the fun!" Kim fumed with her back hunched and arms locked, her tiny but strong hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. She turned to one of the security guards. "Could you at least let us in so we can have a little 'chat' with those two?" she asked in what she hoped was a calm and reasonable tone. The gigantic men continued to stare dispassionately.

"Can't let you in without a ticket," one spoke. Kim sighed slumped her shoulders in defeat. She decided to pull out the big guns early and unleashed the Puppy Dog Pout, but the guards were still unmoved. "Still can't let you in without a ticket." Out of options, Kim slowly walked over to Shego. Then an idea struck her. She grinned mischievously.

Kim walked up to Shego and embraced the older woman, pulling her into a long kiss. Her hands traveled up and down the green woman's voluptuous body, stimulating unconscious responses in her. Kim poured all of her passion into that kiss. Shego offered no objections, but in the back of her mind she thought that Kim might be doing this for the wrong reasons. Reasons like wishing to bring physical harm on her brothers. Admittedly, Shego wanted that too, but not if it was going to make a scene. She didn't do that anymore. In an attempt to delay that course of action and attempt to make Kim see reason, Shego committed herself even more to the kiss, which drew no objections from the long line that was forming behind them. Eventually they broke the kiss due to mutual need for air and gazed at each other with dazed expressions. The security guards exchanged a glance. If they were willing to do THAT much to get in, why deny them the pleasure? One of them lifted the rope and gestured for them to go on through. "Enjoy your night, ladies," he said in a deep voice.

"Please and thank you," the redhead spoke while the green woman silently seethed. The security guard smiled and looked to see two dudes in major lip lock. He had to force the bile back down his throat. "Tickets?" he asked.

"Oh, honey, we don't need tickets with hotness like this," the man replied, stroking his boyfriend in a way that threatened to make the line behind them revolt. The security guard needed to act fast.

"Yeah, you gotta go," he said as he pointed to the parking lot. The gay couple hung their heads in shame and walked away.

* * *

"What the hell was that back there?" Shego hissed at Kim over the loud music.

"It got us in, didn't it?" the redhead replied, leaning in so as only to be heard by her companion.

Shego crossed her arms and let out a puff of air to the side. "Yes," she admitted.

"Good," Kim replied. "Now will you _try _to lighten up? We came here to have a good time."

"Fine," Shego groaned, dragging her feet so that the woman to her right had to pull on her to get her moving. Shego saw it as payback. Where Mego had matured greatly, Shego had suddenly reverted to childhood.

Kim grunted as she struggled to pull the surprisingly heavy Shego. Eventually she realized something was bothering her. She stopped and put her hands on her hips. "Okay Shego, what's your deal? Why are you acting like this?"

Shego stuck out her hip and crossed her arms across her chest. "I should ask you the same question. This isn't like you, Princess."

Kim's face displayed her surprised reaction. Her eyes grew wide at first, then squinted as she tried to make sense of what the older woman had just said. "What do you mean?"

"The way you're dressed, the way you're talking, the way you're acting, the kiss at the door…"

"I thought we agreed to drop that," Kim interrupted.

"Fine," Shego acknowledged as she lowered her arms to her sides and stuck one on her hip, using the other to gesture in Kim's direction. "But you're still not acting like yourself."

"Oh?" Kim's arms assumed the position that Shego's had been in just a moment before as she crossed them over her chest. "And who am I acting like?"

"You're acting like…" She paused as the current song ended and a new one began to play. Normally she would have enjoyed this song, but it seemed incredibly ironic given what she had just realized. "You're acting like me" she finished. The song built up with a mixture of sound effects that converged into a guitar riff at the exact moment her heart split in two. The record scratches mirrored the fractured state of her mind as she struggled to make sense of this. Lead MC/Vocalist Mike Shinoda stepped forward and began to rap the lyrics that spoke truer to Shego's situation than anything else.

_(When this began)  
I had nothing to say  
And I get lost in the nothingness inside of me   
(I was confused)  
And I let it all out to find  
That I'm not the only person with these things of mine  
(Inside of me)  
But all the vacancy the words revealed  
Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel  
(Nothing to lose)  
Just stuck/ hollow and alone  
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own _

Shego was not only an unsuitable lover for Kim, she was a bad influence. She had fooled herself into thinking that letting all her feelings out into the open had changed the redhead for the better, but she was wrong. All she had managed to do was take her bad qualities and impart them to Kim. She had been so concerned with not ruining the redhead's life that she failed to realize that she had already done so. Now Shego had nothing that she could count on. She couldn't even help Kim, the person she loved more than anything in the world. Instead she had turned her into something she wasn't and left herself empty and broken. As Shinoda finished up the rap lead singer Chester Bennington began to sing the chorus._  
_

_I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real  
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long  
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real  
I wanna find something I've wanted all along  
Somewhere I belong  
_

How desperately Shego wanted to escape this, to pretend that it was all just a dream! But she could not. Nor could she stand and face what she had done. At a complete loss for what to do for the first time in her adult life, Shego desired nothing more than to get away from all this and allow her soul to mend itself away from redheads who tore down all the defensive barriers. She had to get out! She had to break free! But where would she go? Shego didn't "belong" anywhere, and her whole life had been one big game of trying to find that one place where she fit in. She thought she had found that place with Kim. But she was wrong.  
_  
And I've got nothing to say  
I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face  
(I was confused)  
Looking everywhere only to find  
That it's not the way I had imagined it all in my mind  
(So what am I)   
What do I have but negativity  
'Cause I can't justify the way everyone is looking at me  
(Nothing to lose)  
Nothing to gain/ hollow and alone  
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own  
_

Shego had been living in a dream world the past few days, thinking that she and Kim could actually carry on a sexual relationship without involving feelings. How foolish she had been! Now her eyes had been opened and she saw the truth; the painful, honest truth: she had nothing. Nothing but hate for the world around her and emptiness in her own soul. She could not love. Her heart could never be rebuilt. As much as she fought to deny it, that fact would never change. She had nothing left and nothing to look forward to. She fell to her knees and grabbed her head as the song entered the second chorus.  
_  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real  
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long  
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real  
I wanna find something I've wanted all along  
Somewhere I belong  
_

Shego shut her eyes as tightly as she could and gritted her teeth, trying to deal with the mass of information that entered her brain. It was a swirling chaos that she wished to escape but could not for the simple reason that it was her own doing. She wanted it to end! Why wouldn't it just END?! Her mind continued to be bombarded with thoughts and feelings that refused to go away. There was only one way to make it stop.  
_  
I will never know myself until I do this on my own  
And I will never feel anything else, until my wounds are healed  
I will never be anything till I break away from me  
I will break away, I'll find myself today  
_

She had to leave. She had to get out of here. She stood to her feet and began to run. She didn't care where she ended up. So long as it was away from here. Surely her problems would stop if she ran away! She had forgotten about the redhead who had begun chasing after her. Kim grabbed Shego by the shirt, but Shego shoved her to the ground and began to run again. Kim refused to give up so easily.  
_  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real  
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long  
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real  
I wanna find something I've wanted all along  
Somewhere I belong  
_

Shego looked back to see that the girl who represented everything she wanted to escape was chasing after her, oblivious to the irrational decision Shego had set her mind to. She was everything Shego feared, everything she hated. Everything she had ever loved twisted and used against her. Why couldn't she understand that Shego only had her best interest in mind? Why did she have to be do stubborn? Shego eventually reached a bathroom and ducked inside as the song came to a close. Kim saw Shego enter and followed. The door closed as manic screams were heard from the bathroom. Outside, the final words of the song summed up the entire event.__

I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong  
Somewhere I belong

* * *

_Wow. Never expected it to be this long. It just goes to show you what a person can do when they have too much free time. I pretty much explained the plot in the beginning notes, so I'll take this time to point out references. If the opening scene looked familiar to you, it should have. It's based on Wolverine's dream sequence in **X2: X-Men United**. Also, the name "Kafziel" is taken from the video game **Soul Calibur III**. It's the weapon carried by Zasalamel, and it just happens to be a scythe. Just thought it fit. Thank you to everyone who has supported this story so far and good luck in the Fannies to those who have been nominated. I just received my sixth, but I doubt I made the top three in any of the categories. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you all are having just as much fun reading it. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	10. From the Inside

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_**From the Inside **is performed by Linkin Park_

**Chapter 10**  
From the Inside

The sound of the concert raging outside could still be faintly heard from inside the bathroom. A new song was starting. The sobbing form of a woman shrunk into the corner, trying in vain to make herself inconspicuous. Another woman, a redhead, walked over to the huddled mass and tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but the green woman forced her back. The song broke into a powerful guitar riff that perfectly captured the emotion of the woman as she lifted her puffy face and tears streamed from her bloodshot eyes. Mucus ebbed from her nostrils, but she did not wipe it away. The redheaded woman knelt down to the same level as the green woman and opened her mouth to ask her the question that had been in the back of her mind ever since they arrived.

"What's wrong, Shego?"

_I don't know who to trust, no surprise  
(Everyone feels so far away from me)  
Heavy thoughts sift through dust and the lies  
_

The lyrics of the song playing outside said what Shego in her tear-choked agony could not. They spoke to her soul and gave meaning to her failed attempts to start a sentence. Kim tried to figure out what would drive the woman with whom she had just been having the time of her life to this. She knew that something was bothering Shego, but now she burned more than ever to discover what it was that pained her lover so. She needed to know so that she may fulfill her natural desire to help. For now she could only listen to the green woman's incomprehensible sobs and the words to the song that gave them meaning.

_Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit  
Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet  
All I ever think about is this  
All the tiring time between  
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much of me  
_

Shego tried to force herself to speak but everything just came out gibberish. The feelings were beyond expression, yet this song managed to articulate exactly what she felt. It seemed bitterly ironic to Shego that it was music expressing what she could not that got them into this situation. Where it had once given her hope, it now cast her into the unfathomable depths of despair. She wanted to tell Kim how much she loved her, how the redhead made her whole and how knowing that she could never express this love tore her apart inside. It was her inability to express her true feelings that had landed Shego into this situation, and it was her continued inability to articulate the indescribable emotions she felt that perpetuated it. The song broke into chorus and declared the reason that Shego could not express her love.  
_  
Take everything from the inside and throw it all away  
'Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you  
_

Shego did not trust herself. She could never forget all the terrible things she had done and the horrible person she had become. Now she had imparted those traits to Kim. The redhead had reminded Shego of herself when she was young and innocent, but thanks to Shego's bad influence and inability to tear herself away the younger woman had come to resemble the part of Shego that she feared the most. She had infected Kim with every aspect that she hated about herself: rage, jealousy, carelessness, depravity, and everything that she had worked hard to bury but that found expression through the only one she had ever truly loved. If loving Kim meant destroying everything the redhead stood for and replacing it with herself, then that love was not worth expressing.  
_  
Tension is building inside steadily  
(Everyone feels so far away from me)  
Heavy thoughts forcing their way out of me  
_

"Shego, what's going on?" Kim repeated. "Why won't you talk to me?" She felt confused and rejected, and she did not like it. But she also sensed that her lover was in pain. Her hero instincts kicked in, and against Shego's desires she pressed herself further into the matter when all Shego wanted her to do was get away from her before she caused any more damage.

Shego finally found the ability to speak coherently, but she still choked on the tears that constricted her throat. "I don't deserve you, Princess."

Kim was honestly surprised. After all, she was under the impression that this was all just a fling anyway and that Shego was just using her for her own desires. Of course, Kim had been doing the same to Shego, but now the green woman was admitting to her true motivations. Kim could not understand how a woman with as much self-confidence as Shego would think herself undeserving of _anything_, and yet here she was saying that she was not worthy of her.

_Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit  
Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet  
All I ever think about is this  
All the tiring time between  
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much of me  
_

"This isn't you, Princess," Shego continued, indicating the smutty ensemble with that Kim was wearing. "It's me. I've turned you into this. You're going against everything you've ever stood for and it's all because of me! I've turned you into something you're not. You don't belong with me, Kim. You belong with Stoppable."

The mention of her old lover confused Kim even more thoroughly. "Ron? What does Ron have to do with this?"

"He has everything to do with this!" Shego screamed, standing up and throwing her hands in the air, then bringing them back down to her sides in defeat. "You and him were meant for each other, and _I_ took all that away! All you've been doing is taking your feelings for him and channeling them into me! That's not healthy, Kim! And it's not fair to either of us!"  
_  
Take everything from the inside and throw it all away  
'Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you  
_

"That's not true!" Kim screeched. "I still think about Ron, yes, but this is completely different! This isn't love! You said that yourself! This is about satisfying each other's desires, and I desire you, not Ron! He's dead, and I miss him everyday, but you're the one I want! You! Not him!"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Shego yelled as she grabbed Kim by the shoulders and shook her in a futile attempt to make her see reason. "You shouldn't want me! You should want him! He's your soul mate, not me! I'm just your fuck buddy! But you loved him and he loved you, and I know in your heart you still love him! I don't want to ruin that, but I have! I don't deserve you, Kim! He deserves you. Stop wasting your emotions on me and save them for the one you love!"

The song now entered a screaming portion, and the raw emotion perfectly embodied Shego's self-sacrificial feelings and her frustrated attempt to make her lover see that all she wanted was Kim's happiness, even if that meant losing her own.  
_  
I won't waste myself on you  
You  
You  
Waste myself on you  
You  
You  
_

"I'll decide who I want to waste my feelings on, and nobody is going to decide for me!" Kim shouted in her trademark refusal to be controlled as she pried Shego's hands from her shoulders and pointed to herself, leaning closer to the green woman's face to emphasize her point. "If I want to destroy myself by engaging in a relationship with you, that's my choice and nobody is going to convince me to do what I don't want to!" She pointed her finger at Shego, who now stood staring at her angrily as she saw the futility of her attempts to get Kim to let go. "Especially you! What happened to 'two consenting adults exploring their desires who could quit any time they wanted?'" she paraphrased. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

"Because I love you!" Shego answered, finally releasing the feelings that she had worked so hard to keep hidden. Instead of feeling relieved, however, she only felt more pain, more confusion, more of a desire to do what had to be done.

Kim was stunned. She knew Shego had desires for her but she never would have thought that she… loved her? How could that be true? She couldn't have heard that right. It just wasn't possible, even for her, and especially not for Shego! Shego hated her! Her mouth opened as the instruments stopped playing for a second and only the words of the song remained.

"What?" she asked quietly before the instruments once more joined the words that so painfully amplified the intensity of the situation by reflecting it so perfectly.  
_  
I'll take everything from the inside and throw it all away  
'Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you  
Everything from the inside and just throw it all away  
'Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you  
You  
You_

"You heard me!" the pale woman shouted. "I love you! I love you enough to know that I don't want to hurt you and myself by destroying who you are! And that's exactly what I've done! I don't deserve you, Kim, and you don't need someone like me ruining your life! You have to let me go!" She grabbed Kim by the shoulders once more and shook the stunned woman violently, trying to get her to respond. But Kim just stared at her with a blank face.

"You… love me?" she asked. Her voice could barely be heard above the music, but it was just loud enough to reach Shego's ears. She released her grip on the younger woman and hung her head in shame.

"Yes," she said gently, just loud enough for Kim to hear. "Yes, I love you. And that's why I have to let you go." She started to walk away, leaving Kim standing there with a stunned expression, unable to comprehend what just happened. The redhead continued to stare for several seconds after Shego left just trying to take it all in. After a few moments, she finally found the strength to move. She began to run towards the door through which Shego had just exited.

"Shego, wait!"

* * *

_This is one of the most difficult chapters I've ever had to write. It's a bit short, but I believe that brevity is the best way to sell the emotional moment. The next chapter will be short as well, and then I'll move back into the longer chapters. I worked hard on delivering a devastating emotional punch in this chapter, and I hope you like the song I picked. The one in the next chapter is going to rock as well. _

_I'm taking a short break from my writing to focus on schoolwork, so I won't be able to update as often as I'd like. I'll still try to put out a chapter a week. I would like to take the time to thank **Zokolov** for his support of this story and for being my number one fan. Check out that guy's stories. He has a lot of potential as a writer. I'd also like to thank **King in Yellow** for his invaluable support and critical evaluation of my writing that has helped me to improve. I'd also like to extend a thank you to all the folks on the **Kim Possible Discussion** board for helping me to iron out the kinks in this story and for accepting me as one of their own. Good luck to everybody in the Fannies and thank you for nominating me even though I didn't make the top three. There's always next year, and there's already talk of nominating this one for "Best Story." I'm truly honored to be in such distinguished company and I am extremely grateful for all the attention that this story has received. I wish you all luck on your own writing and thank you for taking the time to read mine. I love you guys. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	11. Faint

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_**Faint **is performed by Linkin Park_

**Chapter 10**  
Faint

No.

No. She wouldn't let her walk away. She had to let her know how she felt. After all this time keeping it bottled up inside, the feelings were finally coming to the surface. She had just found out that the other woman loved her. Now she realized that she loved her back. She had to let her know.

"Shego, wait!"

Kim ran out the bathroom door, tears and mascara combining to form a black river that streamed down her face, matching the color of her empty heart. In the background, a new song began to play. It started out with a high pitched sound, then moved into a drum solo that seemed to override the beats of Kim's heart as the bass resounded in her chest. She searched for any signs of Shego in the crowd. Finding a tuft of raven-black hair and a brief view of pale skin, Kim decided it was now or never. She took off running just as the song broke into a guitar riff that shook her entire body, amplifying the intensity of the emotion and mirroring the grim resolve of her heart. She caught up to Shego and grabbed her shoulder. The green woman spun around to face her.

"What do you want?" the pale woman shouted over the deafening music. The lyrics of the song began and communicated the message that Kim was so desperately trying to articulate.

_I am a little bit of loneliness, a little bit of disregard  
Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact that everyone can see these scars  
I am what I want you to want, what I want you to feel  
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you to just believe this is real  
So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got  
_

"Well Princess, what do you want?" Shego repeated, noting the intensity that burned in the eyes of the younger woman. She had tried to push Kim away, but the redhead was here to show Shego that she wasn't going anywhere. It felt frustrating, but at the same time it reminded Shego of exactly why she loved this woman who now stood before her in her trademark defiance, refusing to let her fate be decided by another.

For now, Kim did not speak, letting the song do all the talking. It was almost as if the song had been written by Kim herself. The simple yet complex emotion expressed in the short yet all-encompassing words were the perfect expression of the situation. This was not time for silly bickering. This needed to be resolved right now. She needed to let Shego know that she loved her, that she would not be treated like a child who didn't have a right to make her own mistakes, that she wasn't going anywhere. She opened her mouth to speak just as the song broke into chorus.  
_  
I can't feel the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal this damage anymore  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
_

"Don't walk away from me while I still have something to say!" Kim shouted the words at the top of her lungs, but due to the volume of the music it could only be heard between the two women. "That's what you always do! You think that you can solve your problems by running away from them! Well you're not going to run away from me! Not this time!"  
_  
I am a little bit insecure, a little unconfident  
Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make sense  
I am what you never wanna say, but I've never had a doubt  
It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear me out  
So I let go watching you turn your back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got  
_

"Okay Princess, what do you have to say?" Shego responded. "Are you gonna try and convince yourself and me that this is still just some fling and you can continue to use me to satisfy yourself? It can't be like that, and you know it! This is the only way to do this! You have to let me go!" She tried to walk away, but Kim grabbed her arm.

"You think you can just forget about what happened by running away?" Kim screamed. "You think that everything will just magically work itself out if you're not around? You're too deep in this to back out now! You need to stay and work this out!"

"What if I don't want to?" Shego yelled back. "What if it just hurts too much and I can't bring myself to face you after everything I've done? The only thing that will make this right is if I get out of your life! I don't give a fuck what happens to me! My life is over! But you have so much ahead of you and the longer I stay with you the more of I take away and replace with my own shit! I'm turning you into everything I've ever hated! All because I'm too fucked up to love you!"  
_  
I can't feel the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal this damage anymore  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
_

"The hell you are!" Kim screeched. "All my life, I've been looking for someone who accepts me for who I am! I found that in Ron, and when he died, I had nothing! But then you came along and treated me as an equal! You made me feel like I did when I was with Ron! I thought I had lost everything, but I found it in you! And I'm not going to let you take it all away again! I'll die if you leave me!" She paused to catch her breath as the song broke into screaming that mirrored Kim's straightforward resolve in its profound simplicity.  
_  
No  
Hear me out now  
You're gonna listen to me like it or not  
Right now  
Hear me out now  
You're gonna listen to me like it or not  
Right now  
_

"You think that by leaving me, everything will just go back to the way it was?" Kim continued as an obsidian river streamed down her cheeks. She retained her death grip on Shego's arm, refusing to let go as it would mean losing all that she had. "Well it won't! I damn near killed myself when Ron died because I lost everything that I ever cared about. Now I've found it in you and if I lose it again there will be nothing to stop me! I need you! I want you more than anybody in the world right now! Not just physically, not just sexually, not just mentally, not just emotionally but all of the above! You complete me like only Ron could! If you go I'll have nothing left!"

"So what are you trying to say, Princess?" Shego yelled back, leaning in so that their faces were mere inches apart. \

"That I love you too!"  
_  
I can't feel the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
_

This took the green woman by complete surprise. She backed up as much as Kim's surprisingly strong arm would allow, to stunned for words. Like Kim had done just minutes before, Shego opened her mouth to speak as the instruments stopped for just a moment and only the words remained

"What?" she asked quietly before the instruments once again overwhelmed her ears and traveled through her entire body, shaking her to the core.  
_  
I can't feel the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal this damage anymore  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
_

Kim said nothing but instead pressed her lips to Shego's in an attempt to communicate what mere words could not express. She put all of her thoughts, her words, her indescribable emotions, her love into that one kiss. It was deeper than anything either of them had felt. Now that the feelings were all on the surface there was nothing to hold back and instead the emotions came forth like a volcanic eruption, kept under pressure for so many years but now finally coming to the surface where they met sweet release at the place where their lips converged. Shego put all of her feelings into the kiss as well and it became a struggle for dominance, each woman trying to communicate her message by overpowering the other. If there had not been so many people around, they would have done each other right then and there.

_I can't feel  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored_

The two women made their way back into the bathroom as their passion blazed with an intensity that it had never before reached. They needed each other, not to satisfy their own desires, but to show each other the depths of their love. It became about pleasing the other person, not themselves, and their hearts were burning hotter than they ever had before. Kim barely found enough composure to lock the door before the two women made their way over to a stall. Kim pushed Shego into the stall, then, growling like the animal she was, followed her in.

* * *

_I typed this when I was in a really bad mood, and it proved to be a very cathartic experience. I took no breaks so that I could just channel the raw emotion that I felt and put it into written form. It was a great stress reliever, and I hope you all enjoy the emotional effect that I can deliver when it mirrors my own feelings. I channeled all the rage that I felt at not being appreciated or respected by my friends and family and put it into Kim, and I think the result is very powerful. I'm going to take a more relaxed approach to the next chapter since I want it to be a little longer, but it feels great to get all that emotion off my chest. I think that's why I enjoy writing so much. It allows me to take whatever I'm feeling and put it into words, which somehow makes me feel better. It's a very good release, and I hope you all enjoy the finished product. This is the last in this sequence of song chapters, but there will be another three songs by Linkin Park starting in Chapter 14 and extending through the epilogue. I plan to integrate them into much longer chapters, so the raw intensity you see here will be watered down a bit. I look forward to writing those chapters. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	12. Don't Fear the Reaper

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**Chapter 12  
**Don't Fear the Reaper

Kim sat in the passenger seat of the hovercraft, her eyes fixed on the pale woman positioned behind the steering wheel, driving the vehicle towards their destination. Kim found herself simply mesmerized by the woman's beauty. Her skin was ash colored and made her look slightly like a vampire, but it was not her outside appearance that made her attractive.

It's said that beauty is only skin deep, but in truth beauty has nothing to do with skin. For while skin can bruise, tear, bleed, burn, chafe and die, beauty is eternal. It cannot be understood except in the abstract. Beauty is evident when it is seen, but its many variations make it impossible to categorize. There are so many ways one can define beauty. Whether it is the beauty of a field of undisturbed flowers or the grandeur of a snowcapped mountain; whether it is the simple elegance of a dove's pure whiteness or the extravagant rainbow of a peacock's tail; whether it is the power of a well paced slow melody or an intricately structured composition that awes us with its sheer complexity; whether it is the shortest of poems that succinctly articulates the author's exact feelings or the longest of novels that gives these feelings length and applies them to all mankind; whether it is the epitome of innocence that is the face of a baby or the radiant spirit of the person they might one day become; all of these things, no matter how small or how big, how plain or how flamboyant, how simple or how complex, how profound or how longwinded, how innocent or how matured, all of these things and more exemplify beauty. We cannot pin it down and force it to fit any pre-designed stereotypes. Beauty in its purest form defines itself; we do not define beauty. But this does not mean that we don't try.

What one person finds beautiful, another may not. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," so they say. Beauty is at once relative and absolute. It has many expressions, each with varying degrees of beauty, but they all lead back to the same universal concept. It is this concept that eludes us. We spend our entire lives searching for the ultimate expression of this concept of beauty, not realizing that we are already there. Everything is beautiful in its own way, and each thing possesses different amounts of beauty. George Washington Carver once asserted that, "A weed is simply a flower in the wrong place." There is no such thing as ugliness. Ugliness is merely the absence of beauty, just as darkness is the absence of light. We do not call it a "dark switch." For theirs is a direct relationship between independent and dependent variables. When we manipulate one variable, the other is directly affected. But we can only manipulate one. By removing the light, we cast our world into darkness. By introducing light, we make something out of nothing. For darkness does not exist; it is a concept. We can only affect the darkness by manipulating the light. And so it is with beauty and ugliness. Nothing is "ugly," it is simply less beautiful than something else. The root of all judgment is comparison.

Certain beauties are appreciated more than others. If a woman is beautiful in mind and spirit but not in body, another woman who is beautiful in body but not in mind or spirit will be considered "more" beautiful despite the fact that her beauty only lies in one area while the other woman possesses beauty in two. For sense perception is the primary tool of all judgment. We _see_ a beautiful woman, even though she lacks inner beauty. To understand the beauty of the first woman, we must get to know her; we must use our mind. And this is the Achilles Heel of sensory-based judgment. When we look past the surface, when we suspend our disbelief, when we can peer into the depths of another person's soul, we can discover true beauty.

And it was this sort of beauty that Kim saw in Shego: the beauty of potential. For while the green woman had a rather sketchy past, she was not a truly evil person. Her morals were somewhat iffy and she had a slightly unorthodox way of doing certain things, but she did not possess a malignant spirit. She was smart, witty, and had standards that even Kim found acceptable under the right circumstances. She may have committed many crimes, but her essential morals were not compromised. She made it a point of pride to commit crimes while being non-lethal, never using guns and if she had killed anybody other than Ron (which Kim still doubted), nobody had pinned it on her. Sure, she had tried to hurt Kim, but it was mostly at Dr. Drakken's insistence and the few times she had attacked Kim on her own she was angry. Even Kim did things she regretted when she was angry. It was not the desire to hurt Kim that drove her to attack the redhead in the past, but the need to prove her superiority over the younger woman. It was a constant struggle for dominance, and it was the spirit of competition, not hate, that drove them into conflict. They had different beliefs, but every man (or woman) builds his world in his own image. Shego had her own set of morals, and she honestly believed that what she did was acceptable, if not to other people, to herself. Kim had come to respect that about Shego. After all, her raging independence was the reason she loved the older woman.

She loved Shego. She still could not believe it. After all the time they had spent fighting in the past, Kim had never expected to be so much as friends with the pale woman. Even when they shared a bed, Kim told herself that it was all about satisfying her own desires. But it turned out that what she desired was the older woman's happiness. She found herself taking great pride in pleasing Shego rather than herself when they were in the bedroom. Whenever she did that, her lover returned the favor one-hundred fold, and her desires were met because she had granted those of another. It went far beyond mutual respect. Respect is about recognizing that other people have thoughts and opinions, but the person offering this respect is not expected to compromise his/her own beliefs. With Shego it was different. Kim had actually come to agree with Shego on certain things, and vice versa. They were giving themselves to one another, so naturally certain parts were rubbing off. Kim discovered that she and the older woman already possessed many of the same traits and beliefs, and these traits were amplified whenever they came near each other. It was sort of like the relationship she had with Ron, but at the same time completely different. For while Ron had completed her, he couldn't quite measure up. But Shego was her equal in nearly every way. She could interact with Kim on her level, something Ron could never achieve no matter how much he grew in his skills. Ron may have been under her nose, but Shego had been right in front of her face, staring at her with her matching green eyes as a true equal.

Kim still held onto her love for Ron, but with Shego it was a completely different kind of love. Shego completed her in ways that Ron never could. Their love was not about how much they completed each other despite being opposites, as it had been with Ron. Rather it was the fact that both of them were such wonderfully independent women who, while they had the occasional struggle for dominance, did not try to control one another or force the other person to do something that they didn't want to. It was about more than respect for each other's space, since they did not seem to possess much of that anyway. It was out of love for each other that they were willing to grant respect for the other's individuality. It was not love in the traditional sense, but then neither woman cared much for tradition anyway. Kim was a former crime-fighting cheerleader who was now second-in-command of one of the world's top espionage agencies. None of that was traditional, or even normal. Her mother had violated every tradition in the book by becoming a brain surgeon, one of the best in the country at that. And her father loved her mother because of this fact, not despite it. It was from her parents that Kim had learned to respect other people and let them be themselves, and she was amazed at how much her relationship with Shego reminded her of her parents. Both the Drs. Possible were wildly independent people, but when they came together it was as though they could not survive without the other; like they were always destined to be together. Kim now felt that way with Shego. She felt that by using her parents as a model, they could make this work.

Kim had spent her whole life searching for the perfect boy, which she had found but lost with Ron, but she had never considered that love might be feasible between two women. Even for someone who could "do anything," she never thought that the way she felt about Shego was possible, even with her name. And yet her feelings for the older woman were so much deeper than infatuation. She found herself willing to sacrifice her life for the woman who had once tried to take hers, on numerous occasions no less. But those days were gone. Now a new era had begun in their relationship, and where there once was animosity, there was now love. What was once a fierce rivalry had become a quest to better understand each other instead of outperform each other so that both could improve by working together. Kim resolved to love Shego with all that was left of her heart, and she knew that the feeling was mutual. She sighed and turned her head towards the woman she loved, in awe of her perfect form and ravishing inner beauty. Shego was truly a sight for sore eyes.

Shego saw the younger woman staring at her and turned her head to face Kim, a smile forming on her lips. "What?" she asked with just a hint of embarrassment, interrupting the redhead's thoughts.

Kim sat up in her seat and shook her head to clear it. She hadn't been aware that she was zoning out. The thoughts that had filled her mind were incredibly deep and impossible to describe without boring the older woman to sleep, so Kim said simply, "I was just thinking about how beautiful you look tonight."

Any other person would have said that Shego looked like trash. Her black hoodie was a bit torn and covered in dirt, and her hair was a veritable rat's nest. Her cheeks and eyes were still a bit puffy from all the crying she had done, and in all she looked like hell. But she knew at once what Kim meant.

"Thanks. You too," she replied, handing Kim a small compact mirror. Kim flipped it open and her eyes shot wide with horror as she witnessed the disheveled state of her face. Her eyes were a little red and bloodshot, her cheeks were still a bit puffy and drained, and worst of all, her mascara had run.

"Oh my God, I look like Alice Cooper," the redhead finally managed to speak.

Shego let out a loud chuckle, disturbing the drunken Wegos in the back seat, who mumbled something incomprehensible that Shego took to mean, "Keep it down."

"Sorry guys," she apologized, then reached down into the glove compartment and pulled out a sanitizing wipe. She handed it to Kim, whose attention was held captive by the compact mirror. Shego had to shake the wipe in front of the younger woman's face before she noticed it.

"Oh, thanks," Kim spoke up, grabbing the wipe and using it to clean her mascara-stained face. She managed to get most of it off, but a faint shadow of the obsidian river remained on her cheeks. Oh well. She would scrub it off later. Perhaps she could take a nice, warm shower when she got to the house. Maybe Shego would join her and they could have a fun time cleaning off each other's filthy bodies. She could take the soap and rub it in all the areas she knew that Shego liked, cleaning the older woman from head to toe, not missing a single crevice. She knew that Shego would return the favor. A smile crossed her face as she entertained this fantasy, and within moments she had sunk down into her chair and drifted once more into her own little dream world.

The dream was shattered once more by Shego, who smiled and asked, "What'cha thinkin' about, Princess?"

Kim sat up and blushed a little. Her expression changed suddenly from sheepish smile to leer. "Oh, I was just thinking about how dirty both of us are," Her voice turned husky. "and how fun it will be to 'clean up.'"

Shego's eyebrows rose with interest. "But I thought you said back at the concert that dirty was the idea?" she remarked in a jesting tone.

"It was," Kim replied in the same sultry voice. "But now it will be so much fun getting clean." She paused for effect. "Squeaky clean."

The tone with which Kim said the words "squeaky clean" made Shego quiver. "Ooh, I like the sound of that," she spoke with thinly veiled excitement.

"You'll like how it feels even more," the redhead assured her, giving the older woman a little preview by tracing her hands up her thighs. She was about to reach her destination when there was a slight disturbance in the back seat.

"Dude quit that! She's your sister you sick fuck!" The voice came from one of the Wegos. Kim and Shego exchanged a glance and the younger woman turned around to see that one of the twins had his hand on his crotch. Kim wrinkled her face in disgust.

"Ewwwwwww," was the only thing she could say. He was probably just thinking about her, but even that made her shiver. The Wego who was not molesting himself brought his hand up and smashed it down onto a rather sensitive area of his brother, causing the other Wego to yelp in pain. They rolled around the back seat in an attempt to strangle each other, and Kim decided to just let them fight it out and turned back to Shego, who had been paying no attention to her brothers (or at least trying not to).

Kim sighed and shifted her attention to straight out in front of her, trying not to pay attention to the little scuffle that was taking place in the back seat. Eventually Shego had had enough and lit up her hand, hitting both twins square in their respective backsides. Both of them sat up straight and kept quiet, knowing that pressing the issue any further would result in them getting ejected from the hovercraft. After several seconds of trying to hold this position, the alcohol in their system caused them to collapse and fall asleep. Shego let out a small chuckle and a smirk found its way to her face. She turned her attention back to what lay ahead of her. Kim witnessed the spectacle with great delight.

"I feel your pain," she spoke up with a slight trace of humor in her voice.

"Brothers of your own?" Shego inquired, already knowing the answer but still curious as to exactly how Kim's situation related to hers. It could be one more thing they had in common.

Kim nodded. "The worst. I'm convinced that their sole purpose in life is to drive me insane. You think your brothers are bad…" she trailed off as she rolled her eyes, thinking about all the times that the "tweebs" had pulled a prank on her. There were too many to count, but a few events stuck in her mind. Shego interrupted her thoughts for the third time in the last 5 minutes.

"Tell me more about them," the green woman said in the most serious of tones, as though she was actually interested in finding out more of Kim's past, if only to satisfy her own curiosity. She looked at Kim with an expression that the two of them rarely exchanged, but that both knew meant, "I want to find out more about you." It was here eyes that made the look. They were filled with curiosity, interest, and love. The last of these was what prompted the question the most.

"Well," Kim started as she stared up to the heavens, noticing that rain clouds obscured much of the sky and hid the stars from view. It was very peaceful, and not at all ominous. She suddenly noticed that she was getting lost in her thoughts again. She needed to focus. "I guess I've always been a little jealous of them because they're smarter than me. I mean, they both went to high school at age 13! Caused me more than a little trouble during senior year." Shego arched her eyebrow in curiosity at this statement, but Kim shook her head and gave Shego a look that said, "Don't get me started." The green woman nodded in understanding.

"So they've always been a pain in the butt?" Shego summarized.

"Understatement of the century," Kim replied. "All they ever did when I still lived at home was pull pranks on me and just annoy me to no end." A smile crossed her face, and Shego stared at the younger woman as she reminisced. Kim looked so beautiful. And the more she found out about the redhead the more she realized how much she loved her. It was a feeling she never wanted to end. Kim's brothers did indeed remind Shego of her own, but the way Kim described them it sounded like nothing more than harmless fun and sibling rivalry. Kim had a family who loved her, something Shego had only recently reclaimed, and only after a tragic event made her realize how much they meant to her, and she to them. But Kim had always known love. What the younger woman said next confirmed that for Shego.

"But they always came through for me when I needed it," Kim said half to herself as she looked once more to the cloud-covered night sky. Lightning was beginning to strike in the distance and soon it would start to rain, meaning they had to get home soon. A memory suddenly found its way to her mind, and she let out a quiet giggle.

"Do you remember when Drakken got both of us with mind control chips?" she asked the older woman as she slid down in her seat, letting her fatigue overtake her and just relaxed, enjoying the pleasant conversation she was having with Shego. It was moments like these, not just their intimacy in the bedroom, that gave Kim hope for their ever-closer relationship. It seemed funny to her how events of the past could seem so pointless at the time and yet take on great significance in retrospect. Kim found it fascinating how everything just seemed to connect and form a path that leads people to where they are at any given point in time, even if those events didn't seem connected at the time. Kim shook her head at the deep philosophical thoughts that seemed to be pouring into her mind. Why hadn't she been able to think like that in high school? Oh, right, because it was high school.

Wondering why Shego hadn't interrupted her thoughts yet, Kim looked over and saw the pale woman staring straight out in front of her, a scowl on her face as she recalled the event. It was not the happiest of memories. Shego had been placed under Drakken's mind control after she stole the chip that made it possible, not even knowing (or caring) what it did, which she soon found out was a mistake. As she revealed to Dr. Drakken after she had been freed from the mind chip's control, she had been aware of what was going on the entire time. It had made her feel powerless, which was the one feeling she hated above all others. She needed to be in control, or at the very least allowed to make her own decisions. That was why her relationship with Drakken usually worked so well outside of that one incident, and it was the reason that she and Kim worked together.

The idea that someone would violate her basic human freedom of choice angered Shego more than anything. It was the reason she had freed Kim from Dr. Director's spell. She knew how the head of GJ operated. Dr. Director did not do what she did for justice, but so that she could control the fates, actions, and even thoughts of other people. The last of these she achieved through clever manipulation that Satan himself could not have done better. She could not control everything that went on in other peoples' heads, but she was able to manipulate their thought process, training them as to which thoughts to listen to and which thoughts to ignore. It was not quite mind control, but it still abridged people's basic freedom to choose how to think. When Kim brought up the subject, she awakened some bad memories in Shego.

"Yes," the green woman eventually grumbled. "I fucking hate fucking mind control." Reminding herself that her feelings on mind control were not the subject at hand, Shego softened the expression on her face and turned to Kim. "So what does that have to do with your brothers?" Even though she already knew that they had been there and basically saved the day by freeing both Shego and Kim from the mind control chips, she wanted to know what Kim thought of the event's significance.

"Well, I don't know," the younger woman answered, relieved that Shego had kept her anger under control for once. "I guess it's the first time I realized how much my brothers care about me, and how they're willing to do anything to help out family."

"Your parents must be proud," Shego said in the same warm, serious tone as before, reinforcing Kim and encouraging her to share more of herself.

"Yeah," Kim said distantly and looked to the sky yet again. Little droplets of rain were starting to fall, dampening her skin in a very relaxing manner. It felt so peaceful, so comforting, so soothing. The rain seemed to envelop her in a blanket of cool water that washed over her imperfections and lifted her spirits rather than crush them like rain usually did. For while rain can be seen as ethereal tears, there is a certain peace in its unpredictability. You never know where the next drop will hit, and it is this lack of control over nature that inspires in us a sense of wonder, and when we stop thinking and just feel, all is made right as the cleansing water washes away all of the chaos, frustration, and stress from our lives. It is a feeling that we can lose ourselves in, an escape from reality. And as Kim lost herself in the sensation of raindrops gently massaging her skin, she found herself more at peace than she had been in years. The fact that Shego was there with her made it that much better. For that brief moment, nothing else mattered.

Shego watched Kim "soak up" the moment and thought about when she had met the redhead's parents. She could tell right away that they loved their daughter, even if her old man was a bit paranoid at times (why _did_ he hate show people so much?). But the concern he expressed was out of love for his daughter. Kim's mother had resembled what Shego figured Kim would be like when she grew up, if only fate didn't have to be so cruel. She was willing to have a bit more fun than her husband, and Shego could see where Kim got her playful side, not to mention sharp wit, bright personality, high self-esteem, and dynamite good looks. Kim had the best parents in the world. Shego wished her upbringing could have been like that. Her parents had died when she was very young, but the memories she had of them were not very good. She wanted to know more about the people who had raised Kim into the wonderful person that she was.

"Tell me more about them," Shego spoke up, causing Kim to smile slightly as she sat up and flipped the switch to bring the collapsible roof over their heads. She didn't want to get _too _clean before her rendezvous with Shego later. Besides, it was now raining even harder. She could still hear the patter of the raindrops as they hit the metal that served as a barrier between them and the outside world. She had to speak up slightly for Shego to hear her response.

"Well, they've always been there for me, whether I liked them at the time or not. The biggest thing I learned from them is to be yourself. They let me go out on missions, Mom tried to give me advice on boys…" Both women chuckled slightly at that. Kim was most definitely _not _into boys now, nor had she ever been. As she had once said, "Ron's not a boy, he's Ron." That was one reason why she had loved him. For his refusal to fit in, and how he encouraged her to do the same. For how he supported her in every step she made. And now she loved Shego for much the same reason, but it was completely different. She knew that her parents had been enthralled when she and Ron had hooked up, they just wanted her to be happy. If that meant she was happy with Shego, then so be it. She let out a contented sigh. A few weeks ago there had been no one she could count on. Now it felt as though she had everything back. Her life was finally back in order.

Shego saw the smile on the redhead's face. "You're thinking about Stoppable, aren't you?"

Kim's expression was partly surprised, partly amused. Shego could read her like a book. "Yes. Yes I am."

"Do you still miss him?" Shego's face was the epitome of compassion. Her eyes invited Kim to open up, to share her deepest thoughts and feelings. Even feelings Shego wasn't necessarily comfortable hearing.

Kim wiped a drop of water from her eye. Shego couldn't tell if it was a tear or not, but given what was on the younger woman's mind she wouldn't be surprised. This was a very touchy subject for Kim. Shego knew that the redhead had loved Stoppable with all her heart, only to have him so cruelly taken away, by her no less. Eventually Kim spoke up.

"You know, I really thought that being with you would mean giving up my love for him, but it doesn't." Kim was staring out the windshield when she said that, still speaking to Shego, but she also appeared to be conversing with herself. "For the first time in my life, I understand what love is. Love isn't meant to just be saved for one person, especially if that person dies. I mean, what's the use of loving them if they're not around to receive it, right?" Kim and Shego shared a laugh. Kim let out a sigh and continued. "Love is a gift, and loving somebody who's already gone is just a waste of that gift." She turned her head towards Shego. "I think Ron would like for me to be happy. I think he wants me to fall in love all over again and not cling to the past. If he was still around, I'd go back to him in a heartbeat, but…" She paused when she noticed Shego turn her head down slightly to look at the floor, then turned her attention back to the road with an expression on her face designed to mask the obvious hurt she had felt at that statement. Kim decided to continue anyway. "…but I'm not so sure about that anymore. I mean, given the choice between you and Ron, I don't know who I would pick."

That last sentence caused Shego to look back to the younger woman with a look of intrigue on her face. Her eyes were squinted slightly, trying to figure out what exactly was going on in Kim's head. "Who would you pick?" she asked Kim, forcing her to make the decision right then and there.

Kim leaned slightly forward and grabbed the sides of her head in an attempt to concentrate. She hated having to make decisions like this. She was caught in a true dilemma. If she chose Shego, that would mean giving up Ron. Even though she said it wouldn't, she didn't know how she would be able to love Shego if her heart still belonged to Ron. If she chose Ron, that would mean giving up Shego, for the same reason. She did not want to be forced to choose. Eventually she just looked up and stated simply, "I don't know."

The look on Shego's face relaxed. "Don't worry," she reassured the younger woman. "I'm not going to force you to make a choice you don't want to. Not like it would make much of a difference anyway. I mean, he's already gone, right?" They both shared a small laugh, trying desperately to bring levity once more to the situation. Shego shifted slightly in her seat to signal that she just noticed something. "Oh look, we're here."

Kim turned her attention to the front of the hovercraft and noticed that Go Tower was fast approaching. About time. The conversation had been heading down a dangerous route, and feelings may have ended up getting hurt if it had continued much longer. Her mind went back to her little shower fantasy. That would be fun

The hovercraft touched down in front of Go Tower and Kim retracted the roof. Shego turned around and shook the Wego twins awake. "C'mon, time to get up." The Wegos let out a drunken moan and just went back to sleeping. Shego lit up her hand and zapped her twin brothers, startling them awake. "Alright," Shego spoke up in a commanding tone. "Let's all get inside and get ready for bed. This has been a long night."

"Got that right," Kim agreed as she stood up and exited the hovercraft. The Wegos needed a little help, and Kim was assigned the job of escorting the one who had an obvious crush on her. He tried to cop several feels, but after trading with Shego there were no more problems. At least one of the twins was decent. They went through the front door when Shego noticed something was wrong. Normally the lights came on automatically whenever someone entered. This time, they didn't. Allowing the Wego she was assisting to sit down on a chair by the door, Shego instructed Kim to wait here and guard the Wegos at all costs. The younger woman nodded and Shego went to investigate, handing Kim a communicator before she went. It was inconspicuous and it attached to the ear, making it totally hands free. She would be able to call for help if she found anything.

Shego lit her hands and walked through the dark, empty tower, her eyes slowly scanning her surroundings. The only thing she could hear was the crackling of her glow powers and the steady, rhythmic beating of her own heart. Her breathing was calm and relaxed, but that was because she had no reason to be afraid. Yet.

It was just a flash, but for a split second Shego swore she could see a pair of eyes staring at her. She whipped her head around to see what it was, but it had disappeared. She shook her head and went back to searching for the power core. That was likely the reason that the lights were not working. She kept one hand lit and slid the fingers of her other hand along the slick metallic wall, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Eventually she reached the power core. "I'm here," she spoke into her communicator.

The power core was located at the center of Go Tower. It extended up the entire length of the building as well as several stories below it, with entrances on each floor. There was a series of intersecting catwalks that crisscrossed each other across the room, forming a double helix effect that resembled a strand of DNA. There were staircases at each end of the room that connected these catwalks to each other, and moving from floor to floor was a matter of zigzagging across the enormous cylindrical chamber, crossing the room over and over again to go down each set of stairs. Or one could do what Shego did, and simply jump from catwalk to catwalk. Her super powers made this an easy feat. Within minutes she had reached the control panel that rested atop the massive core.

Shego flipped a switch, and at once the four multi-story power rods were brought to life, illuminating the massive chamber with the colors of Team Go: Blue, Purple, Green and Red. Back when the tower was first constructed, Hego had insisted on "alternative" sources of energy. The chemical makeup of each of these 40-story rods was the same as that of the comet that had given them their powers. The result was limitless energy, for their exclusive use. It was a gift from GJ. If anybody knew how to deactivate the power core, it would be one of their agents. That was what worried Shego.

She pressed her finger to her ear. "Alright, power's on. Somebody just turned it off. Everything okay on your end?"

Kim's came to her ears a moment later. "Yeah. Everything's coming back on. I moved the Wegos into the main chamber with the screen, and," Her voice suddenly sounded worried. "I kinda found something."

"Found what?" Shego asked, looking around the chamber for anything she might find. Nothing was out of the ordinary in here, save for the fact that the switch had been tampered with.

"You're not gonna like it," Kim said with an obvious fear in her voice.

"What did you find, Kim?" Shego urged, the firmness of her voice telling Kim that she needed to know, no matter how bad it was.

"It's blood," Kim responded. "Lots of blood. I followed the trail and…" From the other end of the line, Shego could clearly be heard taking in an audible gulp. Kim steeled herself and spoke, "…it's Mego."

Shego froze. Her brain tried desperately to process what Kim had just told her, while her body just plain refused to move. Her eyes widened in realization. If Mego was bleeding, that could only mean…

"How bad is it?" she finally managed to speak.

"Pretty bad," Kim answered. "He's dead."

Shego silently cursed herself for leaving Mego alone right when there was a killer on the loose. She could handle herself just fine, but it had been a while since Mego actually fought anybody. He never stood a chance. Finally she pressed her finger to her ear and told Kim, "I'm on my way."

She made her way back down the catwalks, jumping from one to the other until she was on the first floor. There were still about 30 stories of core beneath her, so it was still a pretty nasty fall if she made a mistake. She took one last look at the core behind her before heading towards the door that would lead her back to Kim. But someone blocked her path.

He was about six feet tall. A bit thin, but he still had a fair amount of muscle, not that this was evident under the long black cloak he was wearing. But it was the sheer weight of the scythe he carried that convinced Shego that The Reaper was stronger than his frame would suggest. A bone-white hand adjusted its grip around the Kafziel, causing it to rotate slightly and shimmer in the light that it reflected from the power core. His glowing red eyes narrowed and Shego suspected that a wicked smile was making its way across The Reaper's concealed face.

Finally summoning the courage to move, Shego pressed her hand to her ear and said, "Kim, get the Wegos to a safe place and get the hell in here." She kept her eyes on her adversary the entire time. The green woman performed a perfect backflip, putting a good twenty feet between herself and The Reaper. She tore off her black hoodie and jeans to reveal her standard green and black outfit. She moved into a fighting position and gestured for her enemy to "bring it."

The Reaper complied, twirling his scythe in a maneuver that was no doubt designed to intimidate, but merely earned a scoff from the pale woman, who was not easily impressed. After all, she was not a six year old girl anymore. She could fight. She could win. The Reaper's ass was going down.

The Reaper made the first move, lunging towards Shego with inhuman speed, his Kafziel raised high in the air. His cloak trailed ominously behind him, as though he was truly a ghost. Shego effortlessly performed a back handspring and the scythe came crashing down, forming a hole in the catwalk. He pulled it out just as easily and swung it horizontally, giving Shego no time to launch a counter attack. The green woman rushed forward and slid down to avoid the swipe, hoping to take out her enemy's feet.

The Reaper simply jumped and Shego slid under her opponent, catching a view of him from underneath. He was wearing some sort of black jumpsuit under the cloak, and Shego wagered that was what gave him his superhuman abilities. Time seemed to slow as she studied his thin frame, trying to find any weaknesses. There were red stripes running in a pattern that seemed vaguely familiar to Shego. She knew that she had seen those patterns somewhere before. She couldn't quite place it, though.

Time sped back up and Shego kicked to her feet, turning around to find that The Reaper had launched another attack, striking her midsection with his foot. Shego flew a good twenty feet and slid on the catwalk, slamming her body into the hard metallic door.

* * *

Kim heard a resounding "CLANG!" as she ran through the halls, trying to reach Shego before it was too late. She had stowed the Wegos in a safe place and was now rushing off to aid the older woman. She had to make it in time.

* * *

Shego spat blood and stood to her feet. The Reaper was better than she expected. That kick was harder than anything she had ever felt, even the kick she received from Kim in the Diablos incident. She needed to stay on her toes. She dropped into her fighting stance once more and let her opponent make the first move. 

The Reaper wasted no time, launching himself at the green woman with malicious intent. Shego was ready, igniting her hands and deflecting the scythe as it barreled towards her face. She followed with a kick to her opponent's chest, stunning him and allowing her to perform a leg sweep that The Reaper barely avoided. Shego leapt over his head and landed in the middle of the catwalk in a feral crouch. She put all her weight on her left palm and lifted the rest of her body in the air, performing yet another leg sweep that looked as though she was on a pommel-horse. This time, she succeeded in knocking The Reaper on his back. Unfortunately, she landed on her back as well.

Her adversary swung his weapon along the floor in a semi-circular pattern, forcing Shego to jump with her shoulder blades, a maneuver that barely avoided the scythe as it slid underneath her, taking a tiny bit of her hair with it. Both opponents kicked to their feet and exchanged a series of blows, mostly dodges and counters on Shego's part. This was not how she was used to fighting. Shego's strategy usually consisted of slashing and swiping, with a few kicks and grapples thrown in for good measure. But this was different. She did not have a weapon of her own to counter with, so she had to constantly be on the defensive. The Reaper swung his Kafziel like a baseball bat. Shego ducked under the swipe and came back up with a swift uppercut, knocking her opponent back slightly and enabling her to perform a powerful spin-kick that sent him flying for a good ten feet.

Shego lit up her right hand and hurled a bolt of plasma at her enemy, determined to end this. The Reaper merely spun around in a circle, catching the bolt mid-swing and sending it barreling back towards Shego. Her eyes widened as it hit her square in the gut, launching her back into the opposite wall. She hit the metal hard, bouncing off the wall and landing on all fours, an intense pain growing in her midsection. That was a dirty trick.

She looked up to see The Reaper jumping at her in the same move with which he started the fight. Shego rolled forward, turning around mid-roll and standing to her feet, allowing her to plant a kick right in the small of her opponent's back. The Reaper flew forward into the wall, hitting it with a loud "GONG!"

Wasting no time, Shego sent herself towards her adversary in a flying kick maneuver, hitting him squarely in the chest as he turned around and knocking him into the wall once more. She ran up to him and unleashed a flurry of punches, kicks and slashes, concentrating mainly on his midsection. The Reaper appeared to be weakening. It looked as though Shego might actually win. But The Reaper still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Shego felt the blunt end of the scythe strike her in the chin, stunning her just long enough for her opponent to kick her in the gut and knock her to the floor. The Reaper spun the Kafziel over his head like a helicopter blade, and Shego noticed that a sharp spear tip was now sticking out of the bottom end. Her eyes widened and she had no time to react as he brought it down towards her midsection. This was the end.

Or at least that's how it seemed until The Reaper was flying tackled by a woman with red hair. Kim's arm caught him square in the neck, sending both of them crashing to the ground. He was unconscious for the moment. Kim stood up and walked over to her lover, whose life she had just saved. Shego was too stunned for words. Kim had showed up just in time.

"Need some help?" she offered, extending her hand to the older woman, who accepted it graciously and stood to her feet with Kim's assistance. Both women turned their attention to the fallen man in a black cloak. Kim covered her mouth and giggled. "You were scared of THAT guy?" She never thought Shego would be so pathologically afraid of a man who looked so ridiculous with his long black cloak and clichéd glowing red eyes.

"I was six, okay?" Shego retorted in a vain attempt to defend herself from the younger woman's ridicule as she dusted herself off. "Things are a lot scarier when you're six. Besides, in case you didn't notice, he was about to kill me!"

"I know, Shego," Kim said more seriously. "I was just trying to bring a little humor to the situation. This whole thing's been nothing but a bunch of drama."

"Ain't that the truth," Shego deadpanned, examining The Reaper's fallen form. "For some reason psycho killers make everything serious."

"So he just ambushed you?" Kim asked, crossing her arms and staring intently at The Reaper, studying him.

Shego nodded. "He was the one who turned off the power and killed Mego. He was probably watching me the entire time." She grabbed her midsection and leaned forward slightly, tightening her facial features and letting out a small wince.

"You okay?" Kim asked, shifting her attention back to the older woman, making ready to grab her if she fell.

"Yeah," she grimaced. "He was just better than I expected. I took a few hits, but I'll be fine." Shego recovered quickly and straightened herself once more. Looking at The Reaper once more, both women noticed that he was starting to move, letting out an audible groan. They looked at each other and grinned.

"Let's see who's the man behind the mask," Kim suggested as they made their way over to the defeated Reaper. He fumbled around for his scythe, but Shego kicked it away. The older woman held The Reaper down as Kim walked up to his head and pulled off his hood. What they saw made both women take a step back.

He was about Kim's age, Asian, with jet-black hair that had obviously been gelled down. Kim struggled to comprehend this new development. Suddenly it made sense why The Reaper was listed in the GJ Personnel Database: he was a GJ agent! But why this particular agent? Kim had worked with him before, and while he was fairly competent, murder was not among his strategies. She knew he had a penchant for following orders, but who exactly was giving those orders? The whole thing now made even less sense. Finally, she forced herself to say his name.

"W-W-Will Du?!" she stammered.

GJ's former number one field agent smiled. "You have no idea," he spoke ominously before pressing a button on his wrist, causing a taser to shoot out and strike Shego. The green woman winced in pain as the electric current surged through her body, then fell to the floor motionless. Kim watched the spectacle in horror and made a mad dash towards the agent, only to suffer the same fate as Shego. Electricity coursed through her 105 pound frame, and she started to lose consciousness. Just before she passed out, she took one last look at Shego. Then everything went black.

* * *

_You didn't see that coming, did you? This officially ends Act II, and the next chapter will be where everything comes together. I hope the cliffie leaves you excited and burning for answers. All will be explained in the next chapter. This took a little longer to get out, but I've been a little busy at school. It actually forced me to take the time to organize my ideas, and the result is a much higher-quality chapter. I hope you enjoy. I'll start work on chapter 13 tomorrow, but don't be surprised if that one takes a little longer to get out as well I've been really busy lately. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	13. War is Peace

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_**White Flag** is performed by Dido_

_Well, here it is; another mega-chapter. I worked long and hard on this one, and trying to tie up almost all of the loose plot threads took quite a bit of space. I've officially broken 50,000 words with this, a mark of achievement for any author. If I continue at this rate, this story could very well pass 60,000 words, maybe even 70,000. But that last one seems unlikely. The story will be as long as it needs to be. Only two more chapters and an epilogue left to write and then I can finally put this monster to rest. Those of you who have read **1984** will recognize the title as one of the three party statements from that book. I just thought it fit, same with the quote. Enjoy._

**Chapter 13**  
War is Peace

* * *

_If you want to imagine the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever._

-George Orwell, _1984_

* * *

Silence. Absolute silence. That was all she could hear. Cold, dead silence. It was not a peaceful silence. It was eerie how absolutely quiet it was. She could hear nothing, save for the sound of her own breathing. Her ears could clearly pick up the sound of what were no doubt rats scuttling in the air ducts, searching in vain for a way out of the labyrinth. But there was no escape. Not for her. She was trapped in her own thoughts, refusing to open her eyes for fear that it might reveal yet another horror. The creepy stillness of the air around her made her thoughts audible, overwhelming her brain with a cacophony of confused mental stimuli. Rather than calm her down, the silence robbed her of all distractions and forced her to think; really think. It was not something she liked doing much these days.

Kim opened her eyes to see that she was in a standard GJ prison cell. The room was completely white, a Plexiglas separator forming one of the walls, eggshell-colored pads covering the rest. It was designed to give her peace, but again it only encouraged her panicked thoughts, driving her mad with its blankness and lack of identity. She looked down to see that the color of her garments perfectly matched that of the walls. A plain, white cell engulfed in silence. Kim could literally hear herself think. They were not happy thoughts. She vividly remembered the previous night's events, and trying to force them out of her brain only granted the memories even more lucidity. Many were too sickening to describe, while others were just too painful to even think about. She rubbed her temples, but this only seemed to burrow the images deeper into her mind.

She couldn't figure it out. Why her? What use could she possibly have been? Why keep her locked up when she had done nothing wrong? Who perceived her as so much of a threat that they would be willing to imprison her? Had GJ been infiltrated by one of her enemies? Who gave the order to have her captured? Why? What had she done? It made no sense.

What did this have to do with Shego? Had the green woman been luring her into a trap? Why would she go to such elaborate lengths to do so? Or had she been the one luring Shego into the trap? Who would use her for such a purpose? What sort of demented person would manipulate her into doing such a thing to the woman she now loved? Was her falling in love with Shego all part of the plan too? It made no sense.

If falling in love with Shego was all part of the plan, then did that plan also involve Ron's death? Had Shego been framed? Was this all some sort of elaborate plot to get them together only to tear them apart again? Or had their getting together upset the twisted plan and that was why she was now imprisoned? It made no sense.

What the hell did The Reaper have to do with any of this? Why did it have to be Will Du? If it had been anybody else, she would not have been surprised, but why him? Who gave him the order to kill? It was not his style, and yet he carried out this grim task as though he had been performing it his entire life. How did he hide it so well? Did he have split personalities or something? It made no sense.

The more she thought about it, the less it made sense. The more she sought the answers, the more questions popped up. Her head was racing a million miles per hour trying to find the truth, only to find herself even more confused. Who would answer her? Who would explain the sitch to her so that everything would make sense again?

That question was soon answered when the door on the opposite end of the hall buzzed and Dr. Director stepped through, trailed closely by Will Du and several GJ agents. Suddenly it made sense. Why Shego was so apprehensive around this woman. Why she had saved Kim from herself. Why Dr. Director had told Shego, "It's good to see you again." She was behind it all! But how? For what purpose? Just like when any other new detail was introduced in this investigation, it all made sense for a moment until too much thinking made it lose its clarity.

She noticed that Dr. Director and those around her were not wearing their usual garments. Instead they were wearing skintight jumpsuits that Kim sworn she'd seen before. She couldn't quite place it at the moment, though. One of the guards held down the button that activated a two way speaker system into Kim's cell so that she could communicate. The first sound she heard that morning besides her heart and breathing was Dr. Director's voice. It was short and to the point, with overtones of dispassion. The one thing that unnerved Kim the most about Betty Director was her ability to not care.

"Hello Kimberly," the Head of GJ spoke in the most businesslike of tones. Kim's face tightened as she walked over to the wall and put her face as close to Dr. Director as the Plexiglas would allow.

"You…" she growled. "You were the one behind all of this!"

Dr. Director lifted one of the corners of her mouth in a barely noticeable smirk. "Quite correct, Kimberly. I always knew you were smart. It's a pity you didn't figure it out sooner. May I ask how you arrived at that conclusion?"

Kim pointed to Will Du, who stood at attention on Dr. Director's left. "Well, having bowl-cut here try and gut me with a scythe was a dead giveaway," she remarked, eliciting a scowl from Du. "But the signs were there the whole time. The way you reacted to Shego was my first clue, but I decided to let it go because there might be a million reasons for you two to exchange a glare, seeing as she's a wanted criminal in 12 countries. Then the way Shego kept obsessing about my new personality gave me my second hint, but I was too caught up in… other things to pay much attention to it at the time. And of course, let's not forget that you're standing here right now, visiting me in my cell for no apparent reason other than I constituted a threat to your precious scheme, whatever that is."

Dr. Director raised her hands and engaged in a mocking round of applause. "Bravo, Kimberly, bravo. I don't suppose you've figured the whole thing out yet, have you?"

Kim shook her head. "Just that you're behind it." Inside she wanted to strangle the woman who was separated from her by a thin sheet of Plexiglas, but it was important to her pride to remain calm and put on a front of confidence. If she gave in to her emotions at this point, Dr. Director would win. Kim was determined to beat her at her own game.

"Well, we'll get to the exact details later," the one-eyed woman replied, interlacing both her hands behind her back in her usual pose. "But for right now, I'm sure there's a question you want to ask. Go ahead."

"Why am I here?" Kim spoke up, allowing her superior officer to get the better of her once more. She cursed herself for giving into the temptation of obeying her captor, but she also needed to know. Besides, Dr. Director already knew what she was going to ask. Why not say it?

"You are the latest candidate in Operation SUPERSTAR. You were selected at birth and raised in a structured environment that has been monitored closely by Global Justice and overseen by myself." Dr. Director recited this as if from memory.

"What's Operation SUPERSTAR?" Kim interrupted. She had heard that name before. The way Shego had reacted to it worried her now as it had then. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Funny, Kimberly, I thought you'd have figured that out by now," Dr. Director said in a tone that, if it had come from any other person, would have seemed warm and friendly. But somehow she was able to twist it and inject it with an air of mockery. "It is of course a super-soldier program. One that has met with little success over the years, but we have gotten closer to our goal each time. And thanks to you, we've reached it."

"What do you mean?" Kim's voice betrayed the fact that her mind already knew what Dr. Director was going to say, but still tried to deny it. She squinted her eyes, trying to solve the increasingly complex puzzle that her captor insisted was so blatantly obvious.

"To fully understand my answer, we must start at the beginning," Dr. Director replied in an emotionless voice, as though she was merely giving a history lesson to a bunch of students. She paused for a moment, then looked straight at Kim with her exposed eye. "Shego."

Kim scowled. "What have you done with her?"

Dr. Director smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."

Kim crossed her arms over her chest and leaned ever so slightly to the left. "So what does she have to do with this?"

"Shego and her brothers were the original candidates for Operation SUPERSTAR. The Operation was named after the comet that gave them their powers. We took them in, gave them a place to live and helped them to master their powers in the hopes that one day they would prove to be valuable assets for Global Justice. We were wrong." She paused for effect.

Kim squinted her eyes and tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out what her captor was going to say next. All the pieces were finally coming together. Her heart began to speed up just enough to show that inside she was excited to hear the truth, but at the same time terrified. After what happened to Shego's brothers, she couldn't help but wonder if the same fate awaited Shego… and her.

"Team Go proved too powerful to control. Shego insisted they separate themselves from the superhero life, and she was the first to do so. We let her go, thinking that four was still enough. Again, we were wrong."

Kim focused her gaze on the form-fitting suit that Dr. Director was wearing. It seemed so familiar and yet… so different. "So where do I come in?" she asked.

"After Team Go was disbanded, we turned our sights elsewhere. We scoured hospital records, searching tirelessly for a suitable subject. After months of looking, we found one. A girl born Kimberly Anne Possible. We vowed… _I _vowed not to repeat the same mistakes we made last time."

"Aside from the obvious gigantic fuck up of trying to control Shego, what mistakes?" Kim remarked snidely, her tone carrying a remarkable similarity to that of Shego.

Dr. Director smiled and let out a soft chuckle. This was too easy. "Team Go knew about the Operation. We thought that by raising them from childhood, we could earn their trust. For the males, we succeeded. But Shego proved… difficult. She had seen our agents murder her parents in their sleep." She let out an amused snicker. "She was going up to her parents' room because she had a nightmare. What she found was much worse than anything she ever could have dreamed. That's why she didn't trust us."

Kim's eyes widened and her pupils were filled with rage. She furrowed her brow and asked incredulously, "Why?"

"Her parents wanted to teach them how to use their powers 'responsibly,'" She punctuated this with air quotes and rolled her eyes. "Rubbish. What good are powers like that if you're not even going to use them? No. Powers like that are not to be wasted on the individual. They must benefit mankind as a whole. Since her parents were not willing to do so, we took appropriate action and trained them ourselves." She looked to the side and muttered under her breath, "It would have been perfect but for the fact that they had minds of their own."

"But you killed them!" Kim screeched. This was way beyond simple manipulation. This was sick and wrong. What scared her the most was that Dr. Director spoke of this as though it was just another useless piece of trivia. She didn't even care.

"I did what I felt was necessary," Dr. Director replied in a suddenly hostile tone that managed to remain callous. "People in this world are either useful or _dead weight_." She injected those last two words with extra force to emphasize how little she thought of such people. "Either someone is helpful or they are in the way. When a door stands between you and the other room, do you not open it? Whenever an object blocks your path, do you not make some attempt to move it? Whenever something or someone stands in the way of true justice, they either join the cause or get the hell out of the way. If they do neither, then the armored tank that is justice will not yield to an insignificant Chinaman. _Anyone_ who stands in our way will be _destroyed_!" She filled that last word with extra menace, gritting her teeth and firing her words at Kim like bullets.

Those last two sentences brought an image to Kim's mind. It was an image that was supposed to represent freedom; the power of the individual. It was an image of a lone man standing in front of a tank, refusing to move. Few people dared to recall what else had happened at Tiedemann Square. Despite the fact that millions of people around the world were watching, the Chinese Army had poured over the barricades, taking some of the college students prisoner and massacring the rest. The lone man was nothing. The slaughtered protesters were nothing. Government controlled all. Freedom was dead.

And now Dr. Director had assumed the role of the Chinese tank, and she was barreling down on Kim. But the redhead would not yield. She could not. She had to remain steadfast. This woman was not talking about justice. She was talking about control. Kim would not let herself be controlled. She needed to be strong. "So where do I come in?" she growled through gritted teeth.

"After the 'gigantic fuck-up,' as you put it, we were determined not to repeat the same mistakes. So we decided to train you without you even knowing about it."

Kim's eyes opened in surprise. "Huh?"

"Did you ever notice how none of the villains you faced used guns? How their plans were so easy to foil? How their deathtraps were so easy to escape? Why Dr. Drakken, Professor Dementor, Duff Killigan, Motor Ed, Monkeyfist, DNAmy and the Seniors are all listed in the GJ Personnel Database?"

"What?!" Kim shrieked.

"It was all one giant training mission," Dr. Director continued. "No true villain would have ever behaved like those overgrown toddlers. You wouldn't last a second against some of the enemies I've faced. So we gave you a controlled environment in which you could develop your skills blissfully unaware of the destiny that awaited you. Now the time to fulfill that destiny has come and I will not let anything stop me this time. Especially not some failed experiment who thinks she can fall in _love_." She said "love" as though it was a swear word.

"Was Shego part of the 'training mission?'" Kim asked, punctuating the last two words with air quotes.

Dr. Director smiled. "No, that was unexpected. We decided to allow it since we figured that without a true challenge you would wise up to the façade sooner or later. I must say, though, this latest 'development,'" She said that last word with a mock chuckle. "was quite interesting. I never suspected you for a homosexual, Kimberly."

Kim smirked and put one hand on her hip. "There's a lot about me you don't know."

"On the contrary, Kimberly; I know everything about you." She paused to let the effect of that sink in. "_Everything_." The extra emphasis she put on that word caused a shiver to make its way down Kim's spine. "You think we weren't following you the whole time? You think I'm stupid enough not to keep tabs on Dr. Load when my best operative fails to report in? I know exactly where you were every second of every day since the minute you were born. I know everything that goes on inside that little red head of yours. And I don't even have to work that hard to do it. You wear your heart on your sleeve, Kimberly. An illiterate child could read you like a book. I know what drives you, what motivates you. I know your likes, your dislikes. I know who you are, what makes you tick, and how to manipulate what you think. You're nothing but a puppet, Kimberly, and I am pulling _all_ the strings!" She gritted her teeth for that last part, leaning forward so that her face and Kim's were separated only by a sheet of Plexiglas and a couple millimeters of air. Kim glared back with equal intensity.

Dr. Director backed up and her face resumed its normal stoic expression. "However," she sighed as her eyes broke contact with Kim's and traveled to the floor, "we were not expecting this. I failed to factor in just how similar you two were. It never occurred to me that the two of you might 'fall in love.'" She said that last part with an air of mockery. "I may know how you operate, Kim," she continued, finally calling the redhead by the name she preferred, her tone suddenly turning gentle, "but you still manage to surprise me. That's what made you a great operative. You didn't need to be taught to think on your feet. It came naturally. You remind me so much of myself when I was your age: idealistic, optimistic, humble, and so very, very naïve." Her tone made the switch from compassionate to commanding without missing a beat. "You've been living in a dream world, Kimberly," she quoted from a science fiction movie Kim had once seen with Ron. "It's time to wake up."

"I'm nothing like you," Kim grimaced, pointing an accusing finger at her captor.

"Really?" Dr. Director countered. "You seemed to adopt a new personality rather quickly after Ronald's death. Perhaps you don't even have an identity. You look to other people to determine how to act. You can't decide who you want to be so you choose to be whoever someone else decides you should be. You of all people know how easy it is to get caught up in peer pressure. You were the most popular girl at your high school, Kimberly. Are you telling me that you didn't care what other people thought of you?"

Kim opened her mouth to speak, but Dr. Director continued before she had the chance to interrupt.

"Like it or not, the people we surround ourselves with define who we are. You are like clay, Kimberly. Whenever you get close to someone, your personality begins to reflect theirs. Not a full reflection, mind you, but certain traits carry over. That is why you are acting so much like Shego right now."

"Leave her out of this!" Kim bellowed, causing everyone but Dr. Director to take a step back. Even the usually stoic Will Du was surprised by Kim's sudden change in volume. Dr. Director, however, simply smirked and let out a soft chuckle.

"You don't believe me? Let us take a look back to your high school days, when you were with Ronald. You have described him many times as your 'safety net.' He was always there for you when you needed it. A true friend." She said that last sentence almost mockingly as she broke eye contact with Kim. She quickly turned back and stared the redhead straight in her twin emerald orbs that now burned with unbridled fury. "But he was more than that, wasn't he? You loved him. You two completed each other so well. Are you trying to tell me that didn't have some effect on your personality?"

Kim looked down, away from the judgmental eye and searched her very soul for an answer. She raised her head and revealed a face that betrayed her thoughts. She finally realized what Dr. Director was talking about. She did not have to share it, for everyone in the room knew what she was about to say. As much as she hated Dr. Director for doing this to her, she could not deny that she had always looked up to this woman. She was so intelligent! Only Shego was so insightful. For some reason that she could not fathom, Kim opened her mouth and formed a reply. Her voice was calm and measured, while still showing emotion. It was the tone one uses when they realize what they have been hiding from themselves all along.

"Whenever I was with him, it was like I suddenly stopped caring what the world thought of me. I mean, I still got caught up in all the petty things, but… he made me realize that other people don't define who I am. I do. He showed me that it doesn't matter what other people think of me. All that matters is what I think of myself." Dr. Director moved her hand to her chin as Kim spoke, no doubt formulating her rebuttal. Kim decided to continue anyway. "So yes, maybe that part of him rubbed off on me, but since when is that bad? It's the reason I still love him, even though he's dead. And you'll never take that away!"

The one-eyed woman on the other side of the Plexiglas merely smiled. "Oh, but I already have."

Kim looked puzzled. "What?"

"You of all people should know Shego doesn't kill. She's too morally conflicted to do that. She likes to pretend she's 'evil,' but in truth she's nothing more than a teenage rebel. She doesn't begin to compare to all the truly evil people in this world. You know nothing of true evil."

"I can think of a few evil people," Kim retorted, her eyes indicating Dr. Director.

The one-eyed woman's face suddenly changed to one of pure hatred. "You think you know the difference between good and evil? You've never had a gun pressed to your head. You don't know what it's like to have to sacrifice the life of one hostage to prevent the deaths of thousands of people. You only see in terms of black and white. You think you have it hard because you lost the love of your life? I've buried three husbands! And I loved each one more than the last! You have no idea what it is to suffer!"

"Bullshit!" Kim roared back. "I died that day!"

"No," Dr. Director corrected her, "you didn't. Ron did. You lived. And so did Shego."

"But you just said Shego didn't kill him!" Kim replied, thoroughly confused.

"Of course not! I did!" Dr. Director fired back.

The words shot straight through Kim's heart like bullets. Her face went blank and her eyes widened in utter shock. She felt nothing for a moment. Then the pain she had experienced that day came flooding back as she remembered what she had done to Shego after she found Ron lying on the floor.

* * *

Kim kicked the green woman square in the ribs, shattering her rib cage and knocking the wind right out of her. She then straddled Shego and began beating her face in, not caring that her knuckles were bleeding. She needed vengeance. She desired nothing more than to kill the woman who had taken away her world. But something stopped her.

It was a hand on her shoulder. She turned up to find a woman with short brown hair and an eye patch. "Dr. Director?" she asked with a tear-choked voice, forgetting for a moment about the unconscious villainess whose face was no longer recognizable.

"Let it go, Kimberly," the Head of GJ insisted.

"NO!" Kim shouted in response, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No, I won't! He's gone! Ron's gone! She killed him!"

Dr. Director's face suddenly turned compassionate as she knelt down next to the broken redhead. "I know. I saw. But this is not the way to do it. Justice is not the same thing as revenge. If you kill her, what then? Destroying her won't bring Ron back."

"But it will make me feel better!" Kim protested.

"No it won't. It will only bring you temporary satisfaction. After that all you will feel is emptiness. She wants you to kill her. If you kill her, she wins. Don't let her win."

"Well then what the hell am I supposed to do?" Kim choked as she stood up, ignoring Shego's battered body that lay on the cold stone floor. "Ron was my life! She took everything!"

"Become stronger than her!" Dr. Director urged, her tone resembling that of a motivational speaker. "Keep on living and show her that nothing she can do will break you down! Show her that even though she took him away, she hasn't taken away the love you felt for him! This life is nothing! He's in a better place now, Kim, and killing her isn't going to bring him back. I'm sure he'd want you to move on with your life."

"But it hurts so much!" Kim sobbed as she ran into the older woman's arms.

Dr. Director held the sobbing woman in her arms, a demented smile crossing her face. All was going according to plan.

* * *

The memory disappeared in a flash and Kim found herself back in the cell. "You used me," she realized. "You filled me with false promises so that you could twist me into whatever you wanted. YOU'RE THE REASON MY LIFE HAS GONE TO HELL!" She cocked her fist back and drove it right into the Plexiglas. If the barrier had not been there, the punch would have hit Dr. Director square in the face. 

Kim hit the Plexiglas so hard she bloodied her hand, but she didn't seem to feel the pain. All she felt was rage. Raw, unbridled fury that caused the blood running through her veins to boil and her teeth to grind together so hard they nearly cracked. Her emerald eyes burned with a fire like never before. The expression on her face was one of pure hate. Her breaths came at irregular intervals, the anger causing her lungs to burn like everything else. The shallow, infuriated intakes of air resembled those of a bull about to charge. And she would have charged but for the transparent obstacle that stood between her and the woman she wanted to strangle. She settled for letting out a cry of pure anger as she smashed her hand against the Plexiglas yet again. The guards made ready to move in and subdue her, but Dr. Director simply raised her hand ordering them to stand down. Let the little girl throw her temper tantrum.

As she nearly broke her hands against the Plexiglas, Kim convinced herself that she really was hitting Dr. Director. All the repressed anger and emotions came to the surface as the tears ran from the corners of her eyes down her cheeks and her hands continued to pound the impassible barrier. She spoke no words, but her screams could be heard even through the soundproofed Plexiglas. They were screams of anger, screams of passion. She was not behaving rationally, but then rationality was the one thing she did not want right now. She howled like an animal, concentrating all her fury on that one spot. She was so angry. Angry that Ron had been taken away from her by the woman whom she had trusted, the same woman who had now captured her and was telling her she had no right to choose. Dr. Director may have been able to defeat her by arguing, but she could not stop Kim's display of fury.

Eventually the blows weakened and Kim fell to her knees, completely drained. She sobbed softly and let her arms fall to her sides in defeat. She lowered her head and let the tears flow down her face, hiccups causing her to gasp intermittently. Dr. Director gazed at her dispassionately, striking a sharp contrast with the redhead by displaying no emotion at all. Kim lifted her tear-filled eyes to face her captor. "Why?" she asked quietly.

"Ron was holding you back," Dr. Director answered coldly. "He distracted you from your true destiny. You were chosen to be the ultimate agent of justice. There would be none who could challenge you. You would have been invincible, Kimberly. And you still can be."

"But I loved him!" Kim interrupted, standing to her feet with a renewed sense of anger.

"Agents of justice do not love!" Dr. Director snapped. "We did not help you to become unstoppable just so you could throw it all away on some nonconformist! Do you think a multi-billionaire would be stupid enough to trap himself in his own laser security system? Of course not! Mr. Paisley was one of our agents, and he performed his job flawlessly! You, on the other hand, accidentally touched one of the fake beams! If they had been real, you would have been vaporized! Who do you think gave Dr. Load his first computer? Global Justice! Who made sure you weren't killed on your missions? Global Justice! Who taught you everything you know? Me, Betty Director, Head of Global Justice! Your life does not belong to you, it belongs to Global Justice! And you have no right to choose who you can or cannot love! I decide what happens to you, not you! There is a price to pay for everything you have gained!"

Kim lowered her head, saline droplets still cascading down her cheeks. "I never asked for any of that," she whispered.

"But you accepted it," Dr. Director countered. "You loved being able to 'do anything.' It was Global Justice who made it possible. Your natural athleticism was of course an asset, but against a bullet you wouldn't stand a chance. We let you have your little fantasy world. We let you mature in the ways of crime-fighting. But all good things must come to an end, Kimberly, this is a fact of life. Ron died so that you could move forward. He sacrificed his life in order that you might become even better. You did not truly love him. You used him as an excuse to hold yourself back. He started out as a safety net, but he soon turned into a crutch. You were too reliant on him. He was always the distraction, and you became distracted. You would never have been able to undergo the training if he was there to distract you. He had to be eliminated."

"No he didn't!" Kim protested, screaming at the top of her lungs. "You want to know the real reason I could do anything? It was because of Ron! He made me believe in myself! You may have set up that first mission, but Ron's the one who convinced me to do it! I would never have even gotten into the saving-the-world business if it wasn't for Ron! He wasn't just a distraction, he was the man I loved! When he died, my heart died with him! You had no right to take away the one person in this world that gave me hope!"

"So you really loved him, then?" Dr. Director replied. Kim nodded. The one-eyed woman smiled evilly. "Then explain why you were so willing to give up his memory to pursue Shego. You seemed to let go of him awfully fast."

"That's bullshit!" Kim retorted. "I waited six years!"

"So you 'waited' for six years, is that correct? Was that out of respect for the dead? Were you just waiting until enough time had passed so you could go fuck a woman and not feel guilty about it?"

"That's not what I said!" Kim's throat was becoming raw from all this shouting. Her voice was hoarse and raspy. "You're twisting my words!"

"Of course I am. What do you expect me to do?" Dr. Director countered. "You still hold onto all those ideals and thoughts of individuality, and it's my job to teach you to think like a machine. I'm not trying to solve your personal problems, Kimberly. I'm trying to assimilate you. The way you think right now is of no use to GJ. But we have broken you before and we can do it again." She leaned in closer, so that her face was mere inches from Kim's, separated only by the Plexiglas partition. "And don't believe we can't."

Kim glared back at the woman who had taken everything from her. Flames of hatred burned in her eyes. Her teeth ground against each other so hard that they threatened to crack. She realized this was a fight she could not win. No matter what she said, Dr. Director twisted her words and flung them back at Kim with a few words of her own. She realized this could not be all about convincing her to join an organization she had idolized since she was a child. They could have just offered her a job and she would have gladly accepted. No, this was different. Dr. Director had to be planning something evil. Otherwise she would never have gone to such great lengths to try and compromise Kim's morals. "So now I suppose you're going to tell me your master plan and try and convince me to join you. That's how these things always go."

"Quite right, Kimberly," the Head of GJ confirmed. "I suppose you've noticed the new dress code around here," she continued, indicating the skintight jumpsuit she now wore. It was navy blue, with glowing red stripes running in patterns that resembled that of computer circuitry. Suddenly Kim remembered where she had seen those patterns before. It had so much to do with Shego she was amazed that she hadn't noticed it right away. Then again, that was a long time ago.

"You adapted my battle suit," she realized.

"You are correct, Kimberly," Dr. Director responded. "We actually have you to thank for this. After all, it was your field test that allowed us to improve it. Too bad you didn't get to use it that much."

"Well, I would have, but Professor Dementor sort of ruined it," Kim remarked. "It kept malfunctioning after that." Her voice was casual, the subject of evil plans providing an ample distraction from the heavy emotional topic they had just discussed. Kim welcomed the change in conversation. This was one area in which she knew the score. "So how does that help whatever you're planning?"

"Oh, Kimberly, you've figured everything else out so far. It shouldn't be that hard for you," Dr. Director mocked. "After all, you can do anything."

"Sorry, I got nothin'," Kim riposted. "Your plans are too complicated for a simple little girl like me to understand." Her voice oozed sarcasm.

"It's really not that difficult to understand, Kimberly," Dr. Director continued, ignoring Kim's flippant remark. Just think. What is it I want?"

Kim's face turned serious as she closed her eyes and concentrated. She found the answer she was looking for instantly. "Control."

Dr. Director's eye grew more intense in excitement. "Correct, Kimberly," she congratulated her prisoner. "Imagine it. We outfit each agent with a battle suit and they become unstoppable. No more casualties! If you thought one battle suit was enough to stop a take-over-the-world scheme, imagine what thousands would do. There would be no more crime, for the criminals would fear the agents of justice rather than mock them as they have in the past! They have always had the edge because we used conventional standardized uniforms while they were not held back by bureaucracy and could create whatever super powered device they pleased. Now we have the lead and we plan to exploit it to stamp out crime forever! There will be no escape for those who run from justice. They can run, but there is nowhere they can hide!" Her usually stoic mood had been replaced with that of megalomania and delusions of grandeur. She smiled wickedly as she described her perfect world.

"But you don't just want to stop crime, do you?" Kim interjected, finally thinking critically. "You want to bring people under your control so that you can decide what crime is. You want to use force to control how they think. You want to take over the world!"

Dr. Director clapped her hands in mock applause. "Bravo, Kimberly, bravo. You figured that out quicker than I thought."

"There's just one problem though," Kim continued. "It won't work."

Dr. Director merely smirked. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because you can lead a horse to water, but the horse has to decide whether or not to drink it. You can make people say anything, do anything, but you can't make them believe it. People will always have a mind of their own, and nothing you do is going to change that. People will eventually find a way to overthrow you, and you'll find out the hard way that people can think for themselves and don't like being controlled. Then you'll find that you've awakened a sleeping giant, and nothing you can do will save you from the day everyone finds out you're nothing but an overconfident manipulator. What are you going to do when you find out all those agents that you thought you had control over suddenly figure out that you've been pumping them full of lies? Together, they're stronger than you are. You can do whatever you want with me, but you'll never enslave humanity!"

Dr. Director let out a chuckle. "You know who you remind me of?"

With a renewed sense of confidence after her freedom-of-thought speech, Kim crossed her arms smugly and asked, "Who?"

"Have you ever read _1984_ by George Orwell?" Dr. Director inquired.

"I was on the honor roll," Kim remarked. "How could I _not _read it?" She appeared to have changed gears quickly, almost completely forgetting about the emotional breakdown she'd had just moments before. But in truth she was rebuilding her shell and putting on a front. Inside, she still wanted to kill the woman standing on the other side of the Plexiglas, but maintaining a calm façade was a point of pride. She would not let the one-eyed woman break her.

"Still," she admitted as she brought the index finger of her right hand to her chin and rested her elbow on her left forearm that still lay crossed on her chest, her eyes traveling to the floor. "It's been a while." She made eye contact with Dr. Director once more. "Care to refresh my memory?"

"Oh, I think you'd identify with the book very closely," Dr. Director promised her. "Particularly with the character of Winston. You honestly believe that the people can make a difference, when it is the people who choose to enslave themselves." Kim looked at her quizzically. "We'll get to that later," the one-eyed woman assured her. "But your ideals remind me so much of him. Do you know what happened to him?"

Kim shook her head. "Like I said, it's been a while. Besides, I read that book senior year. I was a little distracted with Ron." A sliver of emotion escaped through her façade as she spoke the name of her dead lover.

Dr. Director allowed a bemused smile to slip through her own fortress of dispassion. "Yes, yet another reason why he needed to be removed." That last sentence elicited a scowl from Kim, who quickly reverted back to her stone face, determined not to let Betty Director in her head. "It's too bad. You missed one of the greatest stories of the individual's struggle against the collective. Winston was a revolutionary. He was displeased with the world around him. But he kept it hidden from everyone, convincing himself that he was fighting the war on his own, one thinking man against an entire society of like-minded drones. But then he found love. Someone to share his struggle with. Someone he could open up to, mentally, emotionally, and especially sexually." Kim's eyebrow perked up at that last word. Perhaps she should have paid more attention. "He thought that by finding love in a society that condemned any signs of affection other than love for your fellow man, he had achieved victory. But do you know what happened to him?"

"He died?" Kim guessed in a sardonic tone.

Dr. Director smiled. "In a way, yes. But physically, no. He lived. But he was a broken man when they were done with him. For you see he failed to realize that he was not fighting his war alone. There were other dissidents, and the society in which he lived was more than equipped to deal with such self-branded "revolutionaries." His head was pumped full of ideals, just like yours, but ultimately the system won. Just like it will now. Oh, I must get you a copy of that book, Kimberly. You're going to need something to pass the time."

"So why are you bringing up high school Literature?" Kim asked, not quite following Dr. Director's logic. "What's the point you're trying to make?"

"My point is that while we may not be able to control what people think," She brought up her right hand from behind her back and tapped her index finger against her temple. "But we can control how they express what they think."

Kim cocked her head to the side with a confused look on her face, her eyes squinting ever-so-slightly, trying to read Dr. Director's mind. It had not dawned on her that the impossibility of that action was actually the one-eyed woman's point.

"For you see, no one can know what is truly on the mind of another person," Dr. Director continued "We only know what they tell us. And even that might not be the truth. For all we know, they could be lying and telling us what we want to hear. You think that such behavior will lead to revolution. If everyone acts like Winston, convincing themselves that they are one man fighting on behalf of the entire human race, then the leader will be overthrown, correct?"

Kim nodded.

Dr. Director smiled. "But you fail to realize that that's exactly why there won't be a revolution. Because if everyone is convinced that they are alone, there will be no way for them to unite. A solitary dissident is disposed of quickly and the example made by his death inspires other people to wish that they could be a martyr; to die for a cause. But this will only perpetuate the rule of the person in charge since the cycle repeats itself over and over again. One person is crushed by the party, and the entire population idolizes him, not realizing that they all see him the same way. For if they were to read each other's thoughts they would know that they all had the same thing in mind: to lead the revolution. But if they are all leaders, then there can be no followers. Each one will try to lead the revolution on his own, and one by one the revolutionaries will be crushed." She extended her arm in front of her and balled her hand into a fist as she drew her arm back to accentuate that last part.

"Everything you've ever been taught about one man making a difference was a lie," she continued. "In the end, might makes right. You'll never win, Kimberly. I am holding all the cards."

"But people aren't stupid! You think they won't figure out what you're doing and band together?" Kim protested, still refusing to accept Dr. Director's twisted worldview.

"A person is not stupid," Dr. Director corrected, "but people are dumb, ignorant panic-driven animals and you know it. It's all about who controls the majority. You know the reason Adolf Hitler was able to rise to power?"

Kim shook her head.

"Even though he was a terrible military strategist and had bad foreign relations, the one thing Hitler could do better than anyone else was move a crowd. Read the words to his speeches and you're not likely to be impressed. For words alone do not inspire. But if you watch him onstage, you will find yourself captivated, even if you don't understand a word he's saying. Despite everything he did, all the atrocities he committed, Adolf Hitler was smart enough to realize that if you tell people something often enough and persuasively enough they'll begin to believe it. It's called propaganda, Kimberly, and it's yet another facet of Operation SUPERSTAR. If we can control the opinion of the masses, then we control the world. You can see it happening now with advertisements. How hard would it be to insert subliminal messages that influence people's thought patterns? Not hard at all really, once we assimilate the United States Government."

"Of course," Kim moaned as she rolled her eyes. "Why is it every villain starts with the White House?"

"Because the President of the United States is the most powerful man in the world, Kimberly," Dr. Director said in response to the rhetorical question. "And it also factors into the other part of our plan."

"But that won't work," Kim argued. "Are people really going to listen to you if you forcibly take over the government?"

"Oh, Kimberly, you think too small," Dr. Director chided. "There isn't going to be any sort of coup. The President will still be the head of the country. But think of Global Justice as… the neck. We can turn the head any way we want."

"And just how are you going to do that?" Kim challenged, her arrogance getting the better of her. "I highly doubt they're just going to let you waltz in there and control the most powerful man in the world. I mean what are you gonna do? Declare a state of emergency and take over command? The man controls two branches of the military. I think he can handle National Security. And why are you telling me all this anyway?"

"Actually, that's exactly what we're going to do," Dr. Director said in reply to Kim's first question. "Naturally a normal enemy would be easily dealt with, but what if a situation were to arise that required GJ's 'unique services?'"

"What do you mean?" Kim spoke, even though she had a good sense of what the answer would be. "And you still haven't told me why you're telling me all this."

"Think about it, Kimberly. Most of the world's major villains are already on our payroll," Dr. Director responded, still ignoring Kim's second question. "We outfit them with each with a super suit, and soon they become too much of a threat for the U.S. government to handle, and so they call us in. Then we keep them at bay _just enough_ to satisfy our control over the Capitol. Once we control the White House, we control all the Executive Agencies. FBI, CIA, NSA, FCC, the list goes on and on. We would have the world's most powerful country at our disposal. And our dream will finally be realized."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kim repeated with a low growl. "And what's with the 'we?'"

"The answer to both those questions is exactly the same," Dr. Director replied. "I want you to join us. You still have a chance to redeem yourself. Let go of your silly ideals and ultimate power shall be ours! Together, we will rule the world!"

Instead of becoming angry, Kim just burst into laughter. She fell on her back and rolled around on the floor laughing hysterically, gripping her stomach. She seemed to be running the full gamut of emotions today.

"Is something funny, Kimberly?" Dr. Director asked, annoyed.

Kim stopped her laughing long enough to stand to her feet, only to double over again in uproarious laughter. "I'm sorry," she breathed, "I'm just waiting for the part where you say you're my father and we have to go crush those pesky rebels!" She was laughing so hard she almost forgot how to breathe, but it was worth it. After all this drama, it was nice to have something humorous to take her mind off of it. That she was able to crack a joke aimed at the woman who had imprisoned her was just icing on the cake.

Mark Twain once said, "Humanity has unquestionably one really effective weapon—laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution—these can lift at a colossal humbug—push it a little—weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand." And this was especially true at the moment. For all her tricks, Betty Director had no defense against humor. She took herself way too seriously. That was another reason she never liked Kim's sidekick. His outlook on life was too bright for him to be manipulated. He had been the light in Kim's life, one that Dr. Director had taken away with great pride. She could withstand anger, hatred, and appeals to pity, but mockery was Dr. Director's Achilles heel. For laughter symbolized freedom. And freedom was exactly what she was trying to take away. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. She had to stop the redhead from laughing.

"So, you think I'm funny, huh?" she said to interrupt the younger woman's riotous laughter. Kim wiped a tear from her eye and nodded. "You know, Ronald always was quite the joker. I took pleasure in watching him die." She injected that last word with extra menace, certain that it would cause the redhead to sober up and become angry, placing her right where Dr. Director wanted her. Instead, Kim only laughed harder.

"You think you're different from any other villain I've defeated a million times before?" Kim gasped in between bursts of laughter. "You're plagiarizing every major villain in history! You… you can't be for real! This is some kind of joke, right? Am I on Candid Camera? Is the camera in your eye patch?" She put on a very goofy expression and waved right at the eye patch. "Hi mom! Hi Dad!" she said in a voice that sounded like she was losing her mind. And, in fact, she was. But she didn't care. When anger didn't work, when sex was unattainable, and when she was too proud to cry, laughter was Kim's perfect release. She laughed like she hadn't in years; long and loud, with youthful abandon. Dr. Director watched the younger woman rolling on the floor, mocking her. The one-eyed woman's face tightened, her teeth grinding together so hard they threatened to crack. Eventually she'd had enough.

"SILENCE!" she yelled so loud that the sound waves actually penetrated the Plexiglas and reached Kim's ears without the aid of the speaker system. Kim stopped laughing and immediately put on a straight face, pushing herself off the ground and facing Dr. Director in the eye once more. Fun time was over.

"I will not tolerate MY creation mocking me!" Dr. Director roared, losing all traces of subtlety and assaulting Kim with pure hatred. "You think you have freedom of choice? Your whole life was determined by me! I OWN YOU!" If Dr. Director's breath could have traveled through the Plexiglas, Kim would have looked as though she was in a wind tunnel. Instead, the spit flying from the one-eyed woman's mouth splattered against the transparent barrier, obscuring her from the younger woman's view. The stone wall had broken down and revealed the beast within, struggling for control. The beast sought to claim Kim's soul for itself, and it was not afraid to crush the redhead's spirit to do it. Betty Director had been replaced by a monster. If she had not been so angry, Kim would have been truly afraid. Instead she stared straight into the maw of the beast with unparalleled intensity, refusing to yield under the relentless assault.

"Everything you've ever been taught about individuality is SHIT!" the monster continued, her arm sweeping horizontally in front of her to drive home her point. "The person in charge always wins! And I am in charge! You won't be so full of ideals once we're done with you! I will break you, and rebuild you in my own image! And this time, no fucking lesbian of a failed experiment IS GOING TO STOP ME!" She breathed heavily for the next few moments, trying to recapture all the air she had just wasted. Her lone eye seared into Kim. But the look on the redhead's face was cold and unmoving. They had switched roles.

The look on Kim's face changed suddenly. It was a rare expression. It was the face one makes when they've just had an epiphany. Her mouth hung half open, and her eyes were slightly squinted. It was as though the curtain concealing her life had been pulled back and the redhead was finally able to see clearly. All the fog that had obscured her vision up to this point faded away and Kim saw the situation for what it really was. She could see straight into Dr. Director's soul. In that instant, all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Why she had been locked up. Why Shego had been cursed with growing up under the watch of such a cruel woman. Why Ron was dead. It all made sense.

Dr. Director wasn't just a manipulator. She didn't just use people as a means to her own ends because she herself had no choice. No, Elizabeth Director was pure evil. All her life, Kim had been so sure of what evil was. After all, she was a champion of truth and justice. She fought what she saw as "evil," never realizing that true evil was compelling her to do so. The villains she faced weren't evil; they were simply misguided souls. They liked the process of taking over the world more than the end result. They were harmless. But the devil's greatest trick was convincing the world he didn't exist. And Dr. Director had been behind the scenes this whole time, orchestrating a grand scheme with which she could take over the world. She was not human. She was the devil of law enforcement. And she had to be stopped. Still, there was one thing she didn't get.

"So what the hell does he have to do with all this?" Kim asked, indicating Will Du, who stood at attention by Dr. Director's side, his expression never changing.

The rather abrupt change in conversation was nonetheless welcomed by Dr. Director, who silently cursed herself for losing her composure. She took in a deep breath and recomposed herself. She opened her mouth to speak once more in a flat, emotionless voice. She sounded as though she was lecturing a class full of high school students. "The Reaper functions as a recruiter of sorts. A false enemy that we can use to gain a person's trust by saving their life. It's how I got Shego to join."

Kim's eyes widened in realization. "That's what the nightmare was about…" she thought aloud.

Dr. Director nodded. "Yes. Traumatic events usually stay with a subject for all their lives," she affirmed, deliberately avoiding the use of the word "person." "I'm curious, however, as to why Shego didn't share this detail with you. Surely she must have known what was coming."

"She probably didn't think it was important," Kim retorted. "Or maybe she hoped that you'd only take her. What have you done with her anyway?"

Dr. Director allowed a wicked smile to paint its way across her face. "That actually leads back to the main purpose of Operation SUPERSTAR," she replied, pointing to her super suit. "She was still good for something after all she took and never repaid." Her voice was callous as ever, but that last sentence contained just a hint of malice.

"What do you mean?" Kim asked, her facial muscles contracting and furrowing her brow.

"I mean, Kimberly, that The Reaper doesn't carry that scythe around for no reason."

Kim squinted for a moment, then her eyes shot open in horror. "You didn't…"

"The Kafziel was made with materials found at the crater left by the comet," Dr. Director explained, her lecture voice making a return "Whenever a member of Team Go is killed, that power has to go somewhere." Her eye gleamed with a brilliance that looked as though it belonged on a psycho killer. "Guess where it goes."

"The scythe…" Kim realized. Her body jolted when realization struck, but her mind still tried to deny it. It couldn't be true…

"Correct, Kimberly," Dr. Director congratulated the redhead who could barely focus in light of the cognitive dissonance that caused her mind to race at a million miles per hour trying to find another meaning for what the one-eyed woman had told her. It couldn't be true! She was lying! Nobody was that evil!

"What use could you possibly have for that?" Kim growled, not sure if she really wanted to know, but at the same time, she needed to.

"It's as simple as what I'm wearing," Dr. Director answered. "Picture it, Kimberly. We infuse the super suits with the powers of Team Go, giving us even more power! We will be truly unstoppable!" The gleam in her eye resembled that of an axe murderer.

Kim's eyes shot open even wider. The final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. But her mind still scrambled for some sort of counter-information. Dr. Director had said Team Go. And Shego wasn't a member of Team Go, right?

"Of course, specific powers would be allocated to specific types of agents to avoid making everyone convinced that they don't need anybody else. After all, absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"But you're already corrupt," Kim pointed out.

Dr. Director smiled. "Exactly. Which is why my suit can utilize all the powers."

Kim gulped. "All of them?"

The one eyed woman said nothing and threw a punch, blue energy emanating around her fist, and put an enormous crack in the Plexiglas. Not enough to break it, but enough to make a point.

Kim tallied the death toll in her mind. '_Hego…_'

Dr. Director glowed purple and shrunk to the size of an ant, then back to full size.

Kim closed her eyes and lowered her head in a moment of silence to honor the death of the one who had originally possessed that power. '_Mego…_'

Dr. Director now glowed a bright red, and within seconds there were five exact copies of the Head of Global Justice.

A tear slid down Kim's face. '_Wegos…_'

The one-eyed woman recalled the copies of herself and lifted her hands in front of her face, her elbows bent at a 45 degree angle, fingers curled but not quite closed into a fist.

'_Please no,_' Kim thought.

Dr. Director's hands lit up with green energy.

Kim's heart skipped a beat and she fell to her knees. Her face was devoid of expression. She was in complete and utter shock. Her mind shut down and she merely sat there. A solitary tear made its way down her cheek. Her eyes seemed distant, staring straight ahead, but focusing on nothing. Nor was her gaze directed inwards. She was frozen.

Dr. Director smirked. Mission accomplished. "Your training begins tomorrow," she informed the empty shell that remained of Kimberly Anne Possible before turning heel and marching out the door, her entourage close on her heels.

Kim sat in stunned silence for several minutes. Then, from nowhere, a song came to her mind. She didn't know why she thought of it. All she knew was that she wanted to think about anything besides what just happened. It was a lot to take in, and she needed a distraction. The silence became her world once more, and she could hear the song, calling to her, beckoning her very soul.

It was a very sad song. Ron had never liked it, claiming that he didn't want people to think he was gay, but the truth was that he broke down and cried at the sound of it. Just like Kim was doing now. The song served as her final message to Shego, who had been so cruelly snatched away by fate's devious hand. It embodied her spirit, her pride, her refusal to give in. Even if she ended up dying for it, Kim had to remain strong. This was not for herself. This was for Shego. The imaginary intro finished playing in Kim's head and the words began speaking directly to her soul.

_I know you think that I shouldn't still love you  
or tell you that  
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it  
Where's the sense in that? _

Kim finally realized why Shego had been trying to push her away. It wasn't just because she had so much self-doubt, but because she wanted to protect Kim from the demons of her past. One demon in particular. It seemed bitterly ironic to Kim that Shego's attempts to liberate her from Dr. Director were the cause of both the beginning and attempted end of their relationship. But she had been too stubborn. Why couldn't she see that Shego was only trying to help?

_I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder  
or return to where we were  
_

The simple truth dawned on Kim. She was in love. And love had made her blind.

_But I will go down with this ship  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender   
There will be no white flag above my door  
I'm in love and always will be  
_

There was no turning back now. It was all or nothing. She could not escape, but she could still rebel with her mind. If she gave in, Dr. Director would win. And Kim could not disgrace Shego's memory like that. She had to remain strong. She had to endure whatever her Dr. Director threw at her. She had to do it—for Shego.

_I know I left too much mess and  
destruction to come back again  
And I caused nothing but trouble  
I understand if you can't talk to me again   
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"  
then I'm sure that that makes sense  
_

'_I'm sorry, Shego,_' Kim communicated with her heart. She had failed her. Shego had been trying to set her free, but Kim in her trademark stubbornness had refused to accept it. She had tried to hold onto the relationship, but the harder she squeezed, the more it slipped through her fingers like sand. She wondered what Shego was thinking as she looked down on Kim from wherever she was now. Kim hoped it was heaven. Even though Shego had committed many crimes, she had made a real attempt to reform. She wondered if Shego would even still want to talk to her if she ever made it to heaven. But that was where Ron was, too.

_But I will go down with this ship  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender   
There will be no white flag above my door  
I'm in love and always will be _

Kim found herself torn between two lovers. She did not want to choose. She decided to stay alive as long as possible to avoid having to make such a decision, but she knew it was inevitable. For the first time in her life, Kim resigned herself to her fate. She loved Ron and Shego equally, but in different ways. There was no way she could choose. She would not need to. They were both dead anyway.

_And when we meet  
which I'm sure we will  
all that was there  
will be there still  
I'll let it pass  
and hold my tongue  
And you will think  
that I've moved on  
_

But what would happen when she died? How would she be able to confront two people whom she had essentially sentenced to their deaths with her mere presence? Kim resolved not to think of it, but the prospect of deciding who she loved more weighed heavy on her mind, and more importantly, her heart. She decided not to let it show. If Dr. Director wanted her to cooperate, she would. But she would not buy into anything. She would lull the one-eyed woman into thinking that she had accepted her dogma, but in her heart she would remain true to herself. It was perfect.

_I will go down with this ship  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flag above my door  
I'm in love and always will be  
_

Kim would take whatever Dr. Director threw at her. She had to be strong. But sometimes being strong is so hard. Tears poured from the corners of her eyes and streamed down her face, occasional hiccups causing them to fly off, landing somewhere on the pure white floor and leaving a small puddle, then evaporated just as quickly. Kim cried harder than she ever had before in her life, the graveness of the situation finally dawning on her. This was it. This was her end.

_I will go down with this ship  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flag above my door  
I'm in love and always will be  
_

Kim curled up into a ball on the floor and let the tears cascade sideways down her cheeks, running across her face down to the floor. The sobs shook her body. The song continued to play all around her, even though in reality there was nothing but silence. Mucus ebbed from her nose, and she brought her arm up over her face to wipe it away. She smeared it on her otherwise clean pants, ridding herself of any shreds of hope she had left. All she could do was await her "training." The imaginary instruments faded and only the voice remained as the song that was not really playing came to a close.

_I will go down with this ship  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flag above my door  
I'm in love and always will be_

For the first time in six years, Kim cried herself to sleep.

* * *

_If there's one thing writing this chapter has taught me, it's that my mind never runs out of ideas. Seriously, I was looking to make this 6,000 words at the most, and now that figure is closer to 11,500. I'll let my readers point out all the references, but I would like to thank **Zokolov** for giving me the "one giant training mission" idea. Check out his story, **The Final Showdown**. It's a really great work of art. I extend my thanks to all who have read and reviewed this so far, and I assure you there is plenty more in store for you. I may even reach 70,000 words. You guys are the greatest. I'm going to start writing chapter 14 after the Fannies. I am presenting Best One-Shot, and I hope everyone likes what I threw together and submitted to **Zaratan** so that he could integrate it. This year's awards are going to rock. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	14. Freedom is Slavery

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

**Warning: This chapter contains graphic depiction of torture. If this concept disturbs you, I suggest you do not read this chapter. You have been warned.**

**Chapter 14**  
Freedom is Slavery

* * *

_Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in   
order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power._

- George Orwell, _1984_

* * *

Shego was dead.

Kim could not believe it. After all that had happened, after all the progress they had made, after all the trouble they went through to secure their new relationship, Shego had met her end. Kim finally understood the true meaning of futility.

Shego was dead.

Nothing mattered anymore. Shego had been the final link to the days when Kim did not know such suffering. One by one, the people who reminded her of her past had been killed off. First Ron, now Shego. She convinced herself that she was cursed. Whenever she got too close to somebody, they died. No one was safe from her.

Shego was dead.

Kim was a monster. No matter how hard she tried to hold onto something, her mere presence drove it away. Kim had the opposite of the Midas Touch. Everything she touched died. Everyone she opened herself up to died. She was too dangerous. She didn't deserve to live.

Shego was dead.

No! It wasn't true! It couldn't be! Dr. Director was lying! After all, that's what she did, right? That bitch! She had to be holding Shego somewhere. She couldn't give up hope! Not now, not ever!

Shego was dead.

Kim could deny it all she wanted, but she knew what she saw. She saw all the powers of Team Go perverted by Dr. Director, the woman whom she had once trusted, the same woman who had now taken everything from her. Still, her mind refused to accept the fact that the only woman she had ever truly loved was gone. Shego was still with her in her heart. There she would live forever. Just as Ron had never left her side, Shego would always occupy a special place in Kim's heart. Death was not going to change that.

Shego was dead.

Kim still wished that she could see Shego in person, to hold her one last time, to feel her embrace, to slide her hands along her soft skin that shone with the color of the moon, to run her fingers through her raven black hair that felt so soft to the touch yet still managed to flap defiantly like a flag in the wind, to gaze into her deep green eyes that served as a window into her very soul, to feel the warmth of her lips that felt so firm and yet so delicate, like rose petals pressed against hers. She longed to experience the passion that they had shared when their bodies and souls became one in the same, to hold her tightly and never let her go, telling her that she would always be there. But there was one thing stopping her, one fact she knew she could never escape:

Shego was dead.

* * *

Kim lost all sense of time as she lay curled up on the floor, not bothering to use the bed on the back wall. She had not moved since last night. She cried for so long she dehydrated herself and her body could no longer produce tears. There was a water fountain on the wall, but Kim felt no desire to move. She had no reason to live.

When Ron had died, Kim thought her world was over. But now the same thing had happened again. She now knew the truth, and she re-experienced Ron's death as though for the first time. Coupled with the loss of Shego, Kim's mind could not handle it and she simply shut down. She breathed, but that was about it. Her lungs filled with air, then just as quickly expelled it, taking away what hope she had left with each barely audible breath. The rhythm was steady and mechanical, her mind playing no part in the physical process that kept her alive. She wanted nothing more than to die.

The white padded cell was her entire world now. Gone were the days where she could go to Tokyo on a school night. Under normal circumstances she would have laughed reminiscently at such a thought, but her face displayed no reaction other than a blank stare. Her eyes stared off into space, her eyelids on occasion washing over them and interrupting her gaze for a fraction of a second. But she was not looking at anything. Her eyes did not gaze inward, either. She just lay there, frozen, unable and unwilling to function.

Kim's solitude was interrupted the next morning when Dr. Director stepped through the door to her cell accompanied by two guards. She didn't even bother looking. She did not know what awaited her, nor did she care. She had shut down inside. The woman crossed the floor at a disciplined pace and stopped exactly a foot away from Kim, her posture absolutely perfect, not a single hair out of place. She was the epitome of professionalism. The emotionless look on her face would make a stone burn with envy.

Both women refused to show emotion, but for different reasons. Dr. Director believed that emotion was weak, and her hatred for what was in her opinion the most useless of human attributes was exactly why she displayed so much animosity towards the redhead. It was the reason she devoted herself so completely to training Kim in the way she believed the younger woman should go. But more importantly it was the fact that Kim was able to bring out the emotions that Dr. Director had worked so hard to keep hidden. It had been exactly the same way with Shego.

The late villainess had been a thorn in Betty Director's side ever since she escaped from the one-eyed woman's clutches. Her agents were far inferior to the monster she created, and she had seen to it that that monster was put to rest. But this did not satisfy her lust for revenge. After all, bringing down Shego had cost over 23 years of time, resources, countless injured agents, and painstakingly methodical planning on Dr. Director's part. She needed another outlet for those feelings. And this outlet just so happened to be Kim.

"Time to get up, Kimberly," Dr. Director informed the self-imposed vegetable in a perfectly flat voice. Kim just lay there, not seeming to notice her. Her eyes never moved from the direction in which they were focused, the occasional blink being the only movement she displayed. Dr. Director noted the girl's emotionless state and congratulated herself on a job well done. But she was still not satisfied. Betty Director had broken enough people to know that Kim was only in temporary shock. She would come out of it on her own eventually, but Dr. Director decided to speed up the process.

Former Marine Drill Sergeant R. Lee Ermey once offered advice on how to break a man down so that you can reshape him into an obedient soldier: "Don't get mad, act mad." Dr. Director liked to take it a step further. After all, she had to take those feelings out somewhere, right? Unfortunately for Kim, she was "somewhere."

The expression on Dr. Director's face changed to one of pure malice as her eye narrowed, revealing wrinkles on either side of her nose. Her teeth meshed together so tightly they threatened to crack. She bent her right knee to draw her foot back and drove her steel-toed boot directly into the stomach of her prisoner. "Get up!" she ordered sharply.

Kim felt as though she had just been sucker punched by Mike Tyson. Blood forced its way from her mouth as the boot threatened to make an indent in her small intestine. A dark red stain splattered on Dr. Director's shin as well as the once-immaculate floor. Kim groaned in pain and propped herself up on one elbow for leverage, placing the palm of her left hand on the floor and pushing down to raise herself from her emotional death and assumed a sitting position. She gazed up at Dr. Director with a look of absolute hatred.

Kim brought her right forearm to her face and wiped the rest of the blood on her formerly pure white sleeve. The stain was almost black, meaning that the blood had come from deep within Kim's body and she could be bleeding internally. But she was not concerned with that right now.

With a renewed sense of anger, Kim forced herself into an upright position and threw a punch at Dr. Director, who was anticipating the attack and caught it with her palm. She activated the green plasma that had formerly belonged to the younger woman's lover and used it to torture her in every sense of the word. Not only did it remind Kim of the pain of Shego's death, but the pain also manifested itself physically as it seared her skin.

Kim screamed in agony as her knees buckled and she fell to the floor once again. Shego would never have used her powers for something this twisted. Dr. Director's cruelty was even more evident in the psychological application of the torture, dragging it out and inflicting just enough pain to have Kim screaming for mercy, preferring to test the girl's endurance rather than her pain tolerance. It was her mind, not her body, that the one-eyed woman was targeting. The pain Kim had felt yesterday came rushing back in a flash, and if her body could still produce tears, they would have been streaming down her face. Eventually Dr. Director let go.

"That was just a first degree burn," the one-eyed woman informed the girl who sat nursing her wounded hand. "It's no worse than a bad sunburn. Just run it under cool water for about thirty minutes and you'll heal just fine Next time you get a second degree burn," the one-eyed woman threatened, and Kim surrendered with a huff. Dr. Director noticed Kim's lack of fluid. "Get her an IV and some bandages," she ordered one of the guards, who complied and ran off to retrieve the medical equipment.

If it had been anybody else, Kim would have been grateful for the concern. However, she knew Dr. Director was a cat playing with a mouse. If the cat kills and eats the mouse, then it no longer has something to play with. Kim was the mouse. The agent returned in record time and took Kim by the arm, guiding her to her bed, which she still had not used. She struggled in vain, but eventually settled for going limp, forcing him to carry dead weight. Not a problem for someone wearing a suit that could lift a car. The agent placed her on the bed with surprising gentleness and with incredible speed he stuck the IV needle in Kim's arm before she could even object. He tried to grab her hand, but she slapped his wrist. "I'll do it myself," she informed him, snatching the roll of bandages from his grip. He wisely complied.

Dr. Director calmly strode over to the right side of Kim's bed, her hands occupying their usual position, interlaced just below the small of her back. Her steps were uniform and disciplined, and Kim felt as though she was being approached by a machine. This made her uncomfortable. She pulled her hand closer to her body while she wrapped it in bandages and pushed herself further back into the upright mattress that felt similar to one you might find in a prison hospital. Of course, that's exactly where she was. She wrinkled her nose and let out an indignant puff of air through her nostrils in a rather childish gesture. Dr. Director lifted one of the corners of her mouth in a smirk.

"Is there anything I can do to make your stay with us more comfortable?" Dr. Director mocked.

"Well, the room has a nice view, and the food's great, but the service is a little…" She looked to the agent from whom she had taken the roll of bandages with which she was now dueling, struggling to make it stay in place.. "…lacking." she finished, cursing at the bandages that refused to stay on her hand. She was just glad to be ambidextrous, otherwise she would be screaming in frustration by now. But it is difficult to wrap a bandage when one of your hands has just been subjected to cosmic fire. She let out an enraged growl and shook her arms violently, removing the bandage and causing her to grip her hand in pain because of the moving air touching her burned skin. She held it close to her body, wrapping it in the folds of the plain white tunic she wore to guard it from anything else that might bring her further pain. The problem with this approach was that contact with anything meant searing pain. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, trying her hardest to ignore by the burning sensation that kept her from noticing that Dr. Director had picked up the bandage and was now standing right next to her with a bottle of ointment.

"Let me help you with that," the Head of GJ offered. Kim responded by trying to face away from her, causing her to wince once more when she rolled too far over and accidentally subjected her hand to her bodyweight. She resumed her earlier position with a scowl on her face. Dr. Director decided to try again.

"Quit being a child, Kimberly," she snapped in a tone that reminded Kim of her mother. "Burns can get infected, and we don't want that now, do we?" she continued in a much gentler tone. "Now, all I'm asking is that you let me give you the proper medical attention, and then you can have your hand back. Fair enough?" she proposed as though she was addressing a four year old, which was appropriate given how Kim was acting.

"Fine," Kim huffed, crossing her arms impetulantly and wincing yet again when she stuck her wounded hand under her elbow.

"Good," Dr. Director replied. "Now give me your hand." Kim reluctantly extended the raw, damaged mass of fingers and tendons that was her right hand, looking away in uncertainty. She clamped her eyes shut and took in a sharp breath of air through gritted teeth and prepared for the worst. To her surprise, her burning hands were met with cooling aloe being rubbed gently into her raw skin. The manner in which Dr. Director applied the ointment was almost maternal, and she gently massaged each singed finger, freeing Kim from the pain that had tormented her. Kim released her captive breath and relaxed her tense muscles, sinking into the bed that suddenly felt so soft. The ointment was like water on her skin evaporating on a hot day, soothing her and relieving the pain wrought by the heat. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, losing herself in the moment. Pain gave way to healing, and for that brief, stolen second, nothing else mattered.

As quickly as it had come, the feeling was gone, and Kim hissed at the touch of the cloth to her damaged skin. She attempted to withdraw her hand, but Dr. Director caught her by the wrist. She gave Kim a reassuring look with her eye, and the redhead relaxed once more, steeling herself to prepare for the pain. After the first layer was on, there was no more pain save for the occasional pinching of her skin whenever Dr. Director completed a circuit. The pain left Kim's face and she stared at Dr. Director with curiosity.

"Why are you doing this?" she inquired of her captor.

Dr. Director displayed a rare smile. "You're like a puppy that hasn't been housebroken, Kimberly. I can't get mad at you for peeing on the rug. You don't know any better." Kim was about to object, but Dr. Director silenced her by pulling extra hard on the bandage, causing her to jump slightly and wince in pain. "No," she continued in a smooth, nurturing voice. "I have to discipline you; train you so you know how to behave. That way, instead of punishing you every time you do something wrong, I can make sure you don't do it in the first place."

Kim quirked her eyebrow at that statement. She was an untrained puppy? That was a load of bull, she was sure. She knew how to take care of herself. She knew right from wrong! What exactly did Dr. Director want to teach her?

As if reading her thoughts, Dr. Director smiled warmly at Kim and continued wrapping her hand. She was about halfway done. The one-eyed woman opened her mouth and spoke in that same gentle tone that reminded Kim of her mother. "You have the heart of a warrior, Kim," she continued, finally calling the redhead by the name she preferred. "You have strength, the passion, and the desire to it takes win. But you lack focus." She suddenly changed her tone to the cold, professional demeanor she had displayed the previous day. "My job is to teach you to harness that strength, focus that passion, and to take your desire to succeed and forge you into a soldier who obeys orders and fights for the cause, not herself. And to do that, I have to break you." She paused for a moment to focus on wrapping Kim's hand, moving to her fingers, cradling each individual unit like an orphaned child, sheltering them from the dangers of the outside world. She worked slowly and with great care, and for the first time in her life, Kim found herself at a loss for words.

Dr. Director finished wrapping Kim's hand and secured it before releasing it back to its owner. The redhead had to fight the urge to draw it quickly back to herself as this would likely have caused the bandages to come undone. Instead, she slowly bent her elbow and brought her hand in front of her face, where she gazed in wonder at the absolutely flawless job the one-eyed woman had done. The only other person Kim knew who could wrap a bandage that well was her mother. And so her thoughts drifted to the woman who had given birth to her and raised her for 18 years.

Dr. Anne Possible was Kim's biggest inspiration. She was everything Kim had hoped she would be someday, and many prophesied that she would grow up to be just like her mother, and more. But the thing about predicting the future is that it's a game of probability and educated guesses. You can never anticipate what life throws your way. You just have to take it all in stride. And the more you have to adapt, the more you change. A four year old boy can be absolutely certain that he wants to be an Astronaut or a Fire Fighter when he grows up, but unless the cards play out in his favor those vocational goals are likely to change. A girl can fall in love with the boy who has been there for her all along, but what is she to do when he is taken away? Kim had chosen to end up with a woman. But despite all these changes, our parents, especially our mothers, never stop loving us.

They had grown apart in recent years, and Kim no longer visited home as often as she would have liked. It wasn't far; just a few miles down the road from where she lived, but after Ron died she pushed everyone away. She could not bring herself to face her parents after all the hurtful things she had said but never really meant. For the girl who could do anything, the one thing she could not do was stand up to her parents. Even if she did get out of here, how would she tell them that she had not only managed to fall in love with a woman, but that she was the reason that woman was dead? After all, that's what happened with Ron. It would just drive them apart again. And so Kim had gotten used to living on her own, without her parent's guidance. Only now did she realize how much she could have used their support. If she had only had someone to turn to, she would never have fallen in love with Shego, thus sparing herself from this misery and saving the older woman's life.

But… would that have been a life worth living? They say it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but Kim knew from experience that loss can hurt so much that the person experiencing it can think of nothing else. She had lost Ron, then her family, and now Shego. She had nothing. But here the woman who had taken it all away was offering her something in return. Would it be so wrong to accept that? To have something to hold onto? To surrender herself when she could not hold out much longer anyway?

Suddenly Kim's eyes shot open in epiphany. She turned to face the woman who had healed her wounded hand and narrowed her eyes. "I see what you're doing," she accused. "You're trying to manipulate me into trusting you."

Dr. Director smirked. "It's what I do, Kimberly," she admitted. "But I didn't think you would fall for it that easily, and you proved that just now. You were able to see right through the façade. It appears I will have to work harder." Rather than seeming disappointed, Dr. Director just continued to grin smugly.

"What makes you think it will work with me when it didn't work with Shego?" Kim challenged. "After all, you admitted we're exactly the same."

Dr. Director's teeth glinted as she parted her lips to reveal a mouth full of ivory. Her eye narrowed evilly and she let out a menacing chuckle. "Because your reasons for not trusting me are different than Shego's. If you recall our little discussion yesterday, you'll remember that I told you her parents were murdered."

"By you," Kim interrupted.

The one eyed woman laughed. "By our agents," she corrected. "You're forgetting that I don't get personally involved unless absolutely necessary."

"Coward," Kim accused.

Again Dr. Director displayed an amused smile. "I prefer to think of it as reassignment of labor. After all, I handle all the most dangerous cases."

"So you're passing the buck because you're afraid to get your hands dirty?" Kim paraphrased.

"I'm assigning all the cases that don't interest me to the less competent," Dr. Director replied sharply. "I could have killed you if I wanted to, but I took it upon myself to train the most unstable agent GJ has ever employed, and that figure includes Shego. My agents need something to do, and I can't run an organization by myself. Therefore, I must delegate if I'm to get anything done. Why do you think I assigned you to handle Shego instead of Will?"

"Because she would have torn Will apart," Kim answered. "You sent me in because I'm the only one who _can_ handle her. Not even you would last in a fight with that woman. That's why you hide behind all your agents. You knew she had a soft spot for me, so she wouldn't rip me to shreds first chance she got. And that's why I'm able to fight her without getting myself killed; I'm not afraid to take a risk and put my life on the line. You only fight if you know you're going to win."

"As Napoleon once said, 'If you don't want to lose, don't pick on someone your own size,'" Dr. Director quoted, unaffected by Kim's assault. "There is a fine line between bravery and recklessness. It's my job to send in the person who is right for the job, even if that person isn't me. I've put my life on the line more times than I can remember, and more than you ever will. Don't presume you know what it means to risk your life. After all, _you were never in any danger_." She said that last sentence in a voice that, if not for the person who was using it, would have been warm and reassuring. Instead it was cold and sarcastic. She leaned forward to emphasize her point.

Kim crossed her arms and huffed. She could argue all she wanted and she still wouldn't be heard. Every time she challenged Dr. Director, her situation seemed to get worse. She would submit… for now.

"So when does my 'training' start?" Kim asked in a belligerent tone, her emerald pupils boring into the one-eyed woman.

Dr. Director just smiled. "Just rest for now, Kimberly. When it's time, you'll know." She turned heel and headed towards the door.

Confused by the woman's cryptic answer, and against her better judgment, Kim spoke up. "So what was all this about?"

Dr. Director stopped for a moment. Without turning around, she answered, "I wanted to see if you knew your place." She faced the redhead, her single eye glinting in the fluorescent light. "Now I see you do." She exited the room, leaving Kim sitting there clutching her wounded hand, trying desperately to figure out what just happened.

* * *

The Global Justice Forensics Lab was not just for the dead, though without a decent cup of coffee it would certainly seem that way. Wade grumbled silently to himself as he struggled to stop his eyelids from closing, the steaming brew sitting on the cold lab table next to him being the only thing keeping him awake. On the table lay a body, but the only thing that separated the body from his usual work was the fact that the person was not dead, merely unconscious. But the body still merited investigation.

Wade sighed and thought back to a time when things had been simpler; when he made gadgets for Team Possible and ran Kim's website. Now he tried to figure out how people died. It was a waste of his talents, he knew, but the privacy it afforded him was enough of a payoff for the reclusive supergenius. Apart from Kim and Ron, Wade had never had any real friends. This was the only place in GJ where he didn't have to talk to anybody. Here he was free to be himself. The only downside was that he had to poke around the bodies of dead people.

Which is why he was glad that the body that lay in front of him was only half dead. The dim lights of the room cast a seedy glow on the naked flesh of his subject, who did not have even the least bit of covering. But Wade wasn't into necrophilia, and the woman's nude body held no interest to him. It sure was a waste, though.

"Damn, Shego, what did they do to you?" Wade asked the pale woman, even thought he knew there would be no response. How could there be? She was unconscious when she arrived, and Wade had been tasked with monitoring her to see if there were any side effects from the "treatment." Aside from her continued lack of consciousness, there were none as far as the supergenius was concerned.

There was a long green scar running from Shego's armpit to her hip, and the accelerated healing power granted to her by the comet was the only thing that stopped her from bleeding to death. It was green for this reason. Wade didn't know what they had done, but he did know that it had been such a shock to her system that it put her in a comatose state. Wade let out a deep sigh and grabbed his coffee, taking a sip before once again turning his eyes on the pale, naked flesh of the woman who had become Kim's lover.

Wade had never really liked Shego, but nobody deserved this. He did not know exactly what happened to her, but he got the feeling that he didn't really want to. Kim especially couldn't find out. Wade didn't think it was fair to keep his only friend in the dark, but when you worked for Global Justice, Dr. Director's word was law. And he had to obey or else the world around him would come crashing down as it had for Kim. And unlike Kim, he couldn't do anything.

But neither could Kim in this case. For all the times he had managed to bail her out, the one time she needed him the most he had failed her. Wade blamed himself, even though he knew that nobody could have seen this coming. But he should have been able to do more! Why couldn't he see it when it was right in front of him all along?

Because nobody could, he reminded himself. The feeling that this gave him was bittersweet at best. He still felt that he could have warned her, but by the time he discovered The Reaper's true identity Kim was already in a prison cell. It wasn't his fault, but he didn't care. Kim had always been his first priority, and he had failed her. Nothing in the world could make Wade forgive himself for what he let happen to his only friend in the world. And to Shego.

The supergenius suddenly felt compassion for the woman who had tried to kill his best friend time after time and eventually stolen her away. Wade had always had a little crush on Kim, and while he was a bit disappointed that she ended up with Ron, he was there for her. But he had to ask himself: did he let the resentment he felt towards Shego get in the way of doing everything he could to help Kim? If it did then Wade had every right to feel angry and depressed right now. But he had more important things to worry about, namely keeping an eye on a super powered woman who could wake up at any moment and would be royally pissed if she did. Not that she showed signs of doing so anytime soon.

Wade's fingers brushed lightly against the keys of the small laptop he carried, showing a surprising degree of dexterity given his massive fingers. But Wade had requested that the laptop be made with larger keys to compensate for his large digits. Besides, he had been doing this almost all his life. The reason he chose to use a laptop instead of one of the main computers was because the mission he was on was not authorized by GJ. But he had to know. He could still help Kim, even though everything had gone to hell and there looked to be no way out for his best friend.

The keystrokes were barely distinguishable from one another as the young supergenius hacked the files that he had not been granted security clearance for. Through a complex array of technical wizardry comprehensible only to himself, Wade was able to mask his signature so that even if the higher-ups did figure out that they were being hacked, there would be no way to tell who was doing the hacking.

Finally, Wade found what he was looking for. Scrolling down through the long file known as SUPERSTAR, the young super genius' eyes were wide and horrified, but he could not turn away. He gazed up at the woman who lay on the table, noticing that her eyelids now fluttered, which meant that she was at least dreaming while in her coma. His mouth opened and Wade formed three simple words:

"How could they?"

* * *

Peace. That's what she felt. Absolute peace. No distractions, no noise, no danger, just peace. It felt good.

Shego opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by white. No corners, no horizons, no floors or ceiling, just white as far as the eye could see. It was like being in one of those commercials where an actor would go out and pitch a product, not appearing to be standing on anything. Shego had always found that cool. And now she was experiencing it first hand.

She noticed that she was not wearing her normal green and black catsuit, but instead she was clad in a white robe. She did not like it. She was not used to wearing something so loose, and a scowl developed on her face as she rubbed her knees together and confirmed that she was not wearing any underpants either. She glanced down at what she perceived to be the ground, half expecting for it to be made of glass and for fifty men to be staring up at her. But there was nothing but white that seemed to extend indefinitely. She was amazed and confused at the same time. Amazed that she was in a place she had only heard about, and confused that she had ended up here instead of that other place. She opened her mouth and turned her head up, gazing into the infinite whiteness. "Is this heaven?" she asked no one in particular.

"No, but it's sure not hell," a voice behind her answered. Shego spun quickly around to find the source of the voice, and her jaw dropped in shock. Of all people, it had to be _him_.

'_Of course_,' She thought. '_It's bad enough that I'm dead but can I at least go eternity without running into _you?' She closed her jaw and adopted an authoritative pose. "You," she greeted sardonically.

The blond figure across from her smiled. "Now, I know Drakken never remembered my name, but you're usually pretty good about it. I'd hate to think you've forgotten about me in the time I've been gone," he jested, his lighthearted tone alleviating at least some of the tension between the only two people who had loved and been loved by Kim Possible.

"Okay, fine, Stoppable," Shego replied, eliciting a gloating smile from her lover's dead boyfriend. "Where is this place? And where is Dr. D now that you mention it? I'm half expecting to see him pop out of nowhere seeing as I ran into _you_."

"Oh, he's up in heaven," Ron replied nonchalantly, drawing a surprised look from Shego, who had not expected a self-proclaimed "evil genius" to get into a place of good. But then, that would probably be hell for a man who detested anything good. Though Shego had to admit that although Drakken claimed he was evil, he never committed anything worse than property damage and theft, and most of that was because of her. He was just an overgrown toddler, and he was nothing like the truly evil people in the world. He liked to think he was evil, but the truth is he couldn't muster the strength to harm a fly. Not with those tiny hands of his.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold it right there, slick," Shego interrupted, making a "time out" sign with her hands. "So if he's up in heaven, then where the hell are we?"

"Not there, for starters," Ron admonished, causing Shego to blush a little. Even though she claimed not to give a damn what other people thought, Shego had been raised in a religious atmosphere, and while she had gone against everything else she was taught, the punishments she endured for swearing were so severe that she usually didn't do it unless she was either very angry or very confused. At the moment it was the second one.

"Okay," Shego said in her own little form of apology. "So where are we?"

"Well, you can only go to heaven or hell if you're dead," the blond responded. "Right now you're just in a coma."

"So I'm alive?" Shego asked. Ron nodded. "Well then what the—" She paused as Ron glared. "What is this place?" she finished.

"I dunno," Kim's old partner admitted. "I guess it's your mindscape, but I was never really into all that metaphysical stuff. I think it just means we're in your dream."

"So you're a figment of my imagination?" Shego surmised.

"Actually, no," Ron corrected. "I'm the real deal." He thumped his chest twice with his open palms. "That's one of the cool things about Mystical Monkey Power. I would have preferred to visit Kim in her dream, but she's keeping herself awake. Besides, you and I have stuff to talk about."

"Geez, I know Kimmie dated a few guys in the past, but I thought the only guy I had to answer to was that Josh kid she went on that date with that time she almost vanished," Shego remarked, sparking a particularly amusing memory, marred only by the fact that that had been an attempt to kill Princess, whereas now she was in love with the redhead. And now the one against which she would forever be measured was standing right in front of her. "But hey, you never did like being normal, did you?"

"You remembered my motto too," Ron sighed wistfully as he stared off above them, clasping his hands together in gratitude. Apparently it meant a lot to him. Shego rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so what do we need to talk about that's so important?" Shego asked, cutting to the chase.

"Oh nothing, just the fact that the woman who killed me is now boning the woman who effectively became my widow even though we weren't married." Ron's frank yet accurate portrayal of the situation did nothing to calm the green woman. Her face tightened, then relaxed when his boyish smile revealed that he was just joking.

"Well gee, it sounds so dirty when you put it like that," Shego riposted, pretending to be hurt by the remark. Ron, however, was no stranger to the green woman's wit and continued the conversation without missing a beat.

"Okay, maybe that was a little harsh," Ron apologized, which softened the pale woman's gaze. "Still, you've gotta admit, this was a bit of a shock to everyone. But I'll manage."

"You're not freaking out?" Shego asked, confused. "No blaming me for taking advantage of her in her moment of weakness? No accusing me of corrupting your old girlfriend? You're seriously okay with this?" The fact that the person she had killed was essentially condoning her relationship with the woman he loved struck Shego as suspicious.

"I was a bit tweaked at first," the blond admitted, "But I'd do anything to see Kim happy. And that's what you've made her: happy."

"Seriously, you're not even the least bit freaked out that Kimmie's a lesbian, and loves me on top of it?" Shego responded, still unwilling to believe it. "The woman who killed you?"

Ron simply flicked his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Pssh. You didn't kill me. If you'd taken a second to investigate you'd have noticed this." The blond parted his robe and Shego recoiled in horror, but Ron was thankfully wearing pants underneath. She slowly turned her head to gaze at the hole that lay just below Ron's left pec. It was a bullet hole.

"So wait, someone shot you?" Shego asked. Ron nodded. The green woman's face contorted to convey her immense confusion at this revelation. "So then wait, if I didn't kill you, then who did?"

"You know who," the blond replied simply, and Shego contemplated this for a second before her eyes shot wide in revelation. Who else but the woman who wanted to see her dead since the day she escaped? Who wanted to take Kimmie under her wing while eliminating all the competition? The one person she had never allowed herself to suspect: Betty Director.

"That bitch!" she screamed, smashing her fist into her palm.

"That's what I said!" Ron sympathized.

"So what did you do to piss her off?" Shego asked in the same manner one might address another member of a club. And that's what Stoppable was: a member of the "people who love Kim Possible" club. Hell, he was the founder.

"Apparently I 'kept Kim from reaching her full potential,'" he mocked, making liberal use of air quotes. Shego was unable to control herself and chuckled as she placed her hand over her mouth, trying to force back in what she had allowed to escape.

"Man, you always did make me wanna laugh," the green woman admitted, shaking her head and sighing. "But back then I hated your guts so I controlled myself. Now… I'm not sure what I feel about you."

"Could it be that you're trying to understand Kim better by understanding the person she loved before you?" Ron suggested, and Shego was a bit shocked at the insight. She didn't know what to make of it. Stoppable was smarter than her previous encounters with him had led her to believe.

"I… guess you could look at it that way," Shego finally managed to stammer, still amazed that the man whose lover she was now dating held no animosity towards her. It was an ability to forgive that went beyond Shego's understanding. After all, when your entire childhood consists of being blamed for stuff you didn't do and getting treated like an animal, it's kind of hard to forgive. But here was a man willing to look past her faults, and at that moment Shego understood why Kim had loved him. It was impossible to make yourself feel guilty in his presence. It was… nice.

"So, what exactly did you want to talk to me about?" Shego repeated, sensing that there was still more to be discussed. "I mean, am I going to wake up? And if I do, where? How do I get out? Is Kimmie gonna be okay?"

Ron halted her questions by raising his right hand. "One," he counted, extending his index finger, "Yes. Two," His middle finger joined the index finger, "GJ Forensics Lab. That's Wade's department. Which actually leads me to three," His ring finger extended while his thumb restrained his trembling pinky finger, "Wade will help you bust out of there. But…"

"But what?" Shego asked. "Kimmie's gonna be okay, right?"

"I don't know," Ron admitted with sigh as he bowed his head, "but neither will you. You have to let her get through this on her own. There's nothing more you can do for her right now. You just have to save your own hide and wait until the whole thing blows over. Otherwise you'll both end up getting killed. And as much as I'd like some company, I think KP deserves to live a full life."

"Wait, you mean I have to just leave her there?" Shego made no attempt to disguise the anger in her voice. "Leave her when she might die or become some brainwashed drone? Fuck that!"

"Look, I don't like it either, but you've got no choice," Ron insisted, the levity of his tone vanished and replaced with a level of maturity that caught Shego off guard. "If you ever want to see her again, you have to let her work through this on her own."

"But I can't just leave her!" Shego screamed, ignoring the sidekick's reasoning. "She needs my help!"

"Since when have either of you needed each other's help?" Ron countered, breaking through Shego's defenses and capturing her full attention. "You and Kim have always been about doing it for yourselves. If you were in her position, what would you do if she was the one who saved you?"

Shego was silent. She did not want to answer that question.

"I know what you'd do," Ron continued, and Shego leaned forward, anticipating his next words. So insightful! No wonder Princess had kept him around; he knew exactly what made other people tick, and he knew just what to say when it mattered most. Not that this was of much comfort at the moment. "You would feel like you owed her for life, and you don't like that feeling, do you?"

"For some reason people can't resist the temptation to hold that sort of thing over my head," Shego grumbled and Ron nodded in understanding.

"Well neither does Kim," the blond stated, and Shego began to see where he was going with this. The realization hit her and tears began to well up in the corners of her emerald eyes.

Shego turned to leave, only to realize that she was still in her dream and had nowhere to go anyway. She settled for pacing in an angry little circle with her elbows locked and her hands clenched into fists like a toddler, green flames snaking around her forearms. She looked directly above her and opened her mouth, unleashing a hellish scream that embodied all the rage she felt at that moment. It carried for untold miles, but despite the deafening noise the man in front of her did not budge. After a good ten seconds of uninterrupted screaming, the need for oxygen forced Shego to gasp and fall to her knees in defeat, tears seeping from the corners of her eyes. She pounded the floor with an ignited fist, producing no effect other than a slight stinging sensation in her hand.

"Damn it," she cursed. "The one time I don't want to leave someone behind is the time I have to. This is why I don't like getting close to people. The universe always finds a way to fuck it up. Why can't I just love somebody without everything going to hell?"

Ron's eyes flashed with sympathy and he strode over to the crying woman, whose rare display of weakness stirred something inside him. He felt compassion for the woman who had once tried to kill him. He knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not fair," the green woman blubbered, embarrassed to be seen in this state by Stoppable, of all people. But she offered no resistance as he wrapped his arm around her and drew her close to his body in support, just as he would have done for Kim before they were lovers. As he held the sobbing form of Shego in his arms, Ron found himself wondering if Kim was taking it this hard.

* * *

The soft beep that signaled the swipe of a keycard drew Kim's attention to the door on the left side of her room adjacent to the Plexiglas. She jumped slightly and gripped the sheets to keep them from slipping away. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled and stood on end as the redhead watched the door hiss open and Dr. Director stepped through accompanied by two massive guards, much larger than the ones this morning. Rather than dispassion, the look on Betty Director's face was one of steely resolve, as though she was bracing herself for something. Kim set her jaw and returned the gaze.

"Did you have a good rest?" the Head of GJ asked sharply, her tone promising dire punishment for any attempt at humor. Kim nodded her head yes. "Good. You're going to need all the sleep you can get to endure the training," Dr. Director informed her prisoner. "Guards." She made a motion with her hand and the two men behind her pressed a button on their wrists, activating a blue glow around their hands. They stepped on each side of the bed and grabbed Kim by the arms, meeting no resistance as the redhead did not offer any, but simply accepted the fact that anyone channeling Hego's super strength was not someone she was going to win a fight against. Much less someone who controlled all four powers. Her only response was to gaze solemnly at Dr. Director, preparing herself for whatever happened next.

"Walk," the one-eyed woman ordered, and Kim complied, her arms restrained by the two agents escorting her. She kept her vision straight ahead and her steps even, as though she was heading to her execution. In a way, she was. The time had come to see just how Dr. Director would attempt to kill her freedom. Without a free spirit she was as good as dead. She had made peace with that, and the only thoughts that filled her head as she walked down the stainless steel corridors were of how she could resist.

What was Dr. Director planning to do? It couldn't be another demoralizing conversation; they had already had one of those. And it couldn't be like last time, because Kim was not here of her own free will. This left one alternative. Kim hardened her features even more as her face solidified into a stony glare. Her bare feet made no sound as she kept pace with the guards on either side of her, whose boots clanked on the cold steel. Dr. Director led the group, standing directly in front of Kim and blocking the redhead's view of anything. It didn't matter anyway. She knew the intricate network of tunnels at GJ like the back of her hand. After all, until she was imprisoned she had been second in command of the organization. Still, since she didn't know where she started, as well as the dizzying pace at which she was forced to walk quickly confused the redhead and she now had no idea where they were heading. Until they arrived at their destination.

Dr. Director veered off to the right while the guards continued forward, and Kim's trained eyes quickly took in the details of the room. There were a number of devices here that looked as though they belonged somewhere in between a hospital and a horror movie set. There were various whips, chains, manacles, blades, scalpels, needles, and other devices that Kim didn't even want to know about. One she did recognize had three blades and was shaped like a pair of scissors, designed for cutting out a man's stomach. She also spied an anal pear, which was designed to be forced into someone's plumbing and gradually expand by operating the handle. She shuddered at the thought of that being used and quickly turned her attention elsewhere.

The clinical quality and modern look of the stainless steel contrasted the instruments used for a practice that stretched back to prehistoric times. The surgically cleaned blades glinted in the fluorescent light that eliminated all shadows, which served to contrast the stereotypical dungeons where this sort of thing usually took place with delicious irony. Kim would be able to see everything, which made her heart race as she thought of what might happen if certain parts of her were to get cut up.

It suddenly occurred to Kim that of all the times she had been captured on her missions, she had never been tortured. She was about to find out first hand what it felt like to endure something she never dared to think about. Her breathing became shallow and a pool of sweat formed at the base of her spine. Her eyes stopped blinking and instead darted around the room nervously, failing to notice the lone device to which she was being led.

It was an impressive piece of machinery, Kim had to admit. It was your run-of-the-mill slab, with a cold metallic surface and manacles to restrain anyone unlucky enough to be attached to it, but running down the middle was a gap about three inches wide. Kim wondered what that was for. To the side of the chair there lay a console with a keyboard, several levers, and a dial with various settings. A computer screen displayed a heart rate, which at the moment was flat because nobody was hooked up to the machine. But that would be resolved momentarily.

Dr. Director snapped her fingers and Kim felt a sudden rush of air as her clothing was ripped from her body. She made an attempt to cover up, but the guards holding her arms were too strong. She settled for a scowl instead. Her body shivered not from the temperature of the room—though it was cold—but instead the blood boiling inside her shook her frame like a volcano about to erupt. "Strap her in," the one-eyed woman ordered.

Naked flesh met cold steel and Kim hissed as goose bumps sprouted on every inch of her skin. Her backside went numb, and Kim arched her back in an attempt to escape the icy sensation, only to be met with failure as the manacles snapped shut and held her in place. She was now spread eagle on a very uncomfortable piece of machinery, and her other extremities had begun to feel the sensation of pins and needles as well. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something warm, anything that would distract her from the cold that for some reason brought up the image of a doctor's stethoscope, which of course reminded Kim of her mother.

But more importantly it made her eyes snap open and take in the multitudes of surgical instruments that had been perverted from their original purpose. Where they had been designed to heal, they could be used to cause immeasurable pain. Such was the way of the world. No matter how good the intentions behind a particular invention, someone would eventually find a way to use it for evil. Nuclear fission can light up a city, but it can also level that same city. Every sword has two edges. This is a fact of life.

It made Kim sick to think of how those instruments might be used. The fact that they were completely sterile was of little comfort. Something told her that her blood was going to be on them before the end of their session. She closed her eyes and opened them once more, hoping that this tactic would somehow make everything go away. But when she opened her eyes, everything was still there. There was no way out. She set her jaw and a look of grim determination concealed the worry and insecurity that the redhead felt inside. She had gotten herself into this situation, and now she would have to get herself through it, not out of it. If she could endure the pain, she would have won that round. But how long until she broke? She hoped it was before Dr. Director, whose patience seemed indefinite at one moment, then hanging by a thread the next, was able to inflict any true damage

The one-eyed woman finished her inspection of the controls and turned to face Kim, who wrinkled her nose and burrowed her eyes into her captor, challenging her and letting Dr. Director know she wasn't going down without a fight. This caused a smirk to cross the one-eyed woman's face. She communicated everything that she was about to elaborate upon in one of her famous monologues simply by raising one side of her lips. The look in her eye told Kim one thing: "I will own you."

Even though she was speaking to an audience of one, Dr. Director spoke as though she was addressing a crowd, perhaps to make the two guards in the corner feel included. Her words sat on the edge of her tongue before she spoke in that ever-dispassionate voice. "Quite a piece of machinery, huh?" she began, pausing to wait for Kim's inevitable response. She did not have to wait long.

"It certainly fits like a glove," Kim commented as she tugged on her arms in a vain attempt to free herself from the manacles that held her fast to the slab.

Dr. Director chuckled. "Well I can't have you going anywhere," she replied, moving over to the console and reaching for the keypad. On the monitor to which it was attached, Kim's heart rate read 90 beats per minute, above average. The one-eyed woman took notice of this and smiled. "Excited?" she asked rhetorically. "Or afraid?"

"Annoyed," Kim retorted, defiant even in the most dire of sitches. The one-eyed woman let out an amused chuckle.

"Do you want to know how it works?" Dr. Director asked the redhead, typing a series of commands on the keyboard. Under normal circumstances there would have been an operator, but Dr. Director thought it best if she handled this one personally as none of her agents possessed the moral flexibility necessary to perform such a task. Well, Agent Du did, but he was busy at the moment. Besides, it made her feel in control, a feeling she lived for.

Kim was about to respond to Dr. Director's inquiry when she heard a humming noise from behind her and her lower back began to tingle as if to warn her and she pushed against her restraints to arch her back and extend herself fully. The one-eyed woman continued her monologue.

"The machine works by sending electrical impulses through needles that attach to the nerves in your spine," she spoke to that invisible audience, and Kim let out a small squeak as the needles dug their way into her spine, forcing her back onto the slab. "When we alternate the frequency, the prisoner will feel anything from pleasure," she rotated the dial and endorphins shot through Kim's system, forcing her to smile. She quickly frowned when she realized that smile was not her own. "To discomfort," Dr. Director continued, rotating the dial another quarter turn, causing Kim to stiffen as her joints locked and her jaw clenched, the muscles in her body temporarily paralyzed. "To agony," the one-eyed woman finished, rotating the dial once more, tearing a scream from Kim's body as thousands of volts of electricity coursed through her body, causing her heart rate to rise to 120 bpm.

The monitor recorded each accelerated beat of her heart and the display showed that she actually skipped a few beats. The only thing louder than the monitor was the agonized howl that forced its way from Kim's lungs. After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Director flipped the dial back to zero, and Kim collapsed on the metal slab that was now warm with the energy from the electric current. Kim gasped for a few moments as a thin line of drool slid down her cheek. Her body was drenched in a fresh coat of sweat. Recovering, she spat on the steel floor and gritted her teeth, turning her face to her captor. The one-eyed woman smirked.

"I didn't expect you to scream so soon, Kimberly," she mocked. "We've only just begun."

"I wasn't expecting it," Kim growled through clenched teeth. "If I'd had time to brace myself for it I would have been able to stop from screaming."

"Okay then," Dr. Director riposted in an amused tone. "Brace yourself for _this_." She punctuated that last word by twisting the dial past its previous maximum, but this time the redhead clenched her jaw and let out an extended grunt as sparks danced across her exposed teeth, the sphincters in her neck locking into place and her eyelids clamped shut. But as soon as she managed to reach equilibrium Dr. Director twisted the dial yet again, forcing another scream from the sweat-soaked body of her captive. Taking that as her cue, she switched the machine off once more.

"You're resisting too much, Kimberly," the one-eyed woman scolded. "By trying to fight the pain you're only making it worse. Embrace the current and let it pass through you. If you don't offer any resistance, it won't hurt nearly as much."

Kim raised her now bloodshot eyes to gaze at the woman who dared tell her what she was doing wrong when she could end this at any time. "No," she rasped. "Giving into the pain means giving into you. I'll keep fighting it until one of us breaks."

"Defiant to the last," Dr. Director commented with mock sadness, shaking her head in disapproval. "Very well." Her hand rotated the dial once again, and Kim's tortured screams could be faintly heard through the supposedly soundproof door that served as the entrance to this private sector of hell.

* * *

Ron let out a deep sigh as his eyes peeled open and the blue glow gave way to chocolate brown pupils. He had been using his Mystical Monkey Power to check on Kim, and it didn't look good. The green woman next to him had stopped crying and was now watching him with anticipation, eager for good news.

"Well?" she asked nervously, the uncertainty evident in her worried eyes.

Ron dropped his head. "She's being tortured," he whispered, attempting to hold back the tears that came flowing out anyway, dripping down onto the invisible floor.

Shego, on the other hand, was done with crying. She stood up and stamped her feet in rage. "That bitch!" she screamed. "I'm going to fucking kill her when I wake up!"

Drying the tears from his eyes, Ron slid his legs out of the lotus position and stood to his feet. "No," he said as though it was an order. "You can't. You'll end up getting both of you killed. We both agreed that your powers need at least a month to recharge after she stole them from you. Your healing ability is the only reason you're still alive. You can't push it any further."

"And I thought I hated it when Princess was right," Shego spat, using the sidekick as the scapegoat for all this. "But you make me so angry I wanna—"

"Ah." Ron raised his hand in the air to stop her. "Remember, he's watching." His index finger extended upwards, indicating the general direction associated with heaven.

Shego cursed under her breath as she locked her elbows and stomped her foot. She crossed her arms and spoke. "So what am I supposed to do once I get out?"

"Disappear for a while," Ron answered. "Let your powers recharge and then come back for Kim. With any luck she'll make it through this and come out of it stronger than ever."

Shego gulped. "And what if she doesn't?"

Ron sighed and dipped his head. "Try not to think about it," he encouraged her placing a hand on the green woman's shoulder.. "Since when has it ever been smart to bet against KP? Just focus on your part and you two will meet again. I promise."

"I guess you're right," Shego admitted softly, bowing her own head. "She's always come through before, even when that's what I didn't want her to do." She raised her face to make eye contact with the blond. "You know, you're not half bad. It… means a lot that you're not freaking out over this. One less thing to worry about."

"I only want what's best for Kim," Ron humbly replied, his hand still on the green woman's shoulder. "Right now that's you. I have more than I ever dreamed of in heaven. It's a wonderful place. It… I can't even describe it. But it's a place where nothing else matters, where suffering is impossible, where all that matters is the fact that you're free, truly free, and nothing can take that freedom away." Shego's eyes sparkled as tears formed. No more suffering… that sounded nice. Freedom… that sounded even better.

"So then why make the Earth at all?" Shego asked. "Why make people suffer when it's possible to create a place where they don't?"

"That's one you'll have to take up with the big guy," Ron replied, gesturing upwards. "It's way out of my league. All I'll say is that, if you find true love, that's as close to heaven as you'll get on Earth. And until it's your time, you should be happy with that. Even if I'm not there with her, I… I want Kim to experience that heaven. To get her away from the hell she's in now. But she has to go through that hell to appreciate heaven. Maybe that's why God created suffering. So that he could promise us a place where it doesn't happen, and that would be enough of an incentive to follow him."

Shego blinked a couple of times as she tried to digest what Stoppable had just told her. "I guess this means I can't call you 'buffoon' anymore, does it?" she finally managed to joke.

"Nope," Ron confirmed, dropping his hand from the green woman's shoulder.

Shego sighed and dropped to the floor again resting the underside of her biceps on her knees, joining her hands in the middle of the gap that separated her legs. Ron followed suit by bending his knees, placing one palm on the ground before plopping firmly on his backside. He made a small "oof" as he landed and sat up with his right leg outstretched and his left drawn closer to his body, using it as an armrest for his left arm. The two sidekicks looked at each other before Shego finally spoke.

"Will I ever see her again?" she asked worriedly, seeking reassurance. Her emerald eyes were soft, and her face carried no malice. Her soul was out in the open, and Shego had allowed herself to become completely vulnerable.

Ron returned the gaze with a pair of confident eyes that erased all doubt. They penetrated Shego's soul, and for the second time in her life—the first being with Kim—Shego found herself completely comfortable in the presence of one who could completely crush her soul if they wanted to, but chose not to out of innate compassion. No wonder Kim had loved him. He always knew just what to say.

Peering straight into the soul of the green woman, Ron's lips formed one word. "Yes."

Shego's face lit up, but Ron was not finished. "Yes, you will see her again, but only if you do as I tell you. You have to let her work through this on her own."

Shego dipped her head and cursed silently to herself. She raised her eyes once more to look upon the blond. "Can I at least say goodbye?"

At this, Ron raised his finger. "One second," he spoke before closing his eyes. A faint blue glow emanated from behind his eyelids, and Shego realized he was using his sight once again. She considered this for a moment.

Shego had done a little studying of mystical monkey power after a chance encounter with Monkey Fist led to more than a few annoying injuries. Apparently the sight allowed Ron to see far off places. She had also read that he had the ability to share this sight. She thought about it for a second, then decided it was her last chance to see Kim before she woke up and had to abandon the redhead without saying goodbye. She reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey! Monkey boy!"

Ron's eyes opened and the glow faded. "What?" he asked.

"I want to see Kimmie one more time before I wake up," she practically begged.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked. "She's not exactly out of danger at the moment. You might see some stuff you don't want to."

"I've seen a lot of disturbing stuff in my day, Stoppable. Now can you share that mystical monkey sight thing or what?"

"Well, I haven't quite mastered it, but yeah," the blond admitted.

"Good," Shego said. "Now show me Kimmie before I rip you a new one!"

"Okay," Ron sighed. "But you can't say you weren't warned. Kim's being tortured right now, and now that you love her, it… it may be too much for you to handle."

"I know," Shego breathed as she lowered her head. "But it's my last chance to see her. I wanna say goodbye."

"Alright," Ron spoke up, gripping the green woman's hand and closing his eyes. "This is going to feel a little weird."

Shego closed her eyes and focused as well. Suddenly she felt something tickle. It started small, beginning at her hand and snaking around her arm, much like her plasma powers did. Shego assumed this was the mystical monkey power. It actually felt sort of good, like a cool breeze. But that only lasted a few moments.

Pain! Suddenly Shego felt her body engulfed in a white-hot sensation. She felt like her own powers had turned against her. Searing, blinding pain! She couldn't stand it any longer! Opening her mouth, Shego let out a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

Kim's scream climaxed and ended in a hoarse gasp followed by several heaving breaths as the electric current left her and her body slackened, slowly asphyxiating her as she struggled to keep her elbows no more than a couple inches above her shoulders. It felt like being crucified, only worse. Her relief was short lived when the current caused her to tense up yet again, the strain evident on her face. Sweat oozed from her pores and caused her naked, unprotected body to glisten in the fluorescent light. A strained groan escaped her lips as she tried not to cry out in agony, but once again a scream was ripped from her quickly tiring body. Kim had never felt so helpless in her entire life. She had lost track of time, but one of the guards would announce whenever an hour had passed. He had made the announcement three times.

The current dissipated once more and Kim's entire body went limp, her hair an electrocuted mess and a river of drool flowing from a mouth that had forgotten how to swallow. Choked sobs formed her breaths as she hiccupped pathetically. Her raspy breathing seemed to go unnoticed by Dr. Director, who continued to operate the machine, every once in a while interjecting a comment such as, "It's for your own good, Kimberly," or "Stop resisting and the pain won't be as hard to endure."

Eventually these comments had changed to taunts like, "You can do anything, huh? Except tolerate _pain_!" The taunts would be followed by a surge of electricity that held a slightly greater charge than the last, then it would end and the cycle would begin all over again. Time lost all meaning as Kim lost herself in the steady mixture of pain and insults. Eventually everything became a matter of bracing for the shock and shrugging off the insults, but she couldn't ignore them too much as she wouldn't know when to expect the shock otherwise. Sometimes Dr. Director would change the rhythm of the taunts and the shocks just to screw with her hapless victim. But Kim still resisted, and though her eyelids hung half open and the tongue that had lost all feeling was like cotton in her dry mouth, she still managed to defy the one-eyed woman by staying conscious. It was a contest to see who would break first. Kim was losing badly.

Eventually Dr. Director realized the futility of the physical approach. Kim would keep resisting, and she would die before she broke. Dr. Director decided to switch tactics and do what she did best: target Kim's mind.

"You know, we're not all that different," the one-eyed woman asserted, causing Kim to look up at her with one eye half closed, the other completely shut. Mucus ebbed from her nose and her auburn hair was frayed and slightly charred from the heat that the electricity converted to before dissipating. A line of drool dribbled down her chin. Her heart threatened to leap from her chest. Kim's entire body glowed with sweat that showed just how dehydrated she was. But she still managed to answer back.

"Oh yeah?" She heaved. "How's that?"

"We both live for one thing, Kimberly. Do you know what that is?" Kim feebly shook her head no. "Control," the Head of GJ spoke in response to her own question. Kim gave up trying to hold her head up and went limp, her body swaying a few times before asphyxiation forced her to once again push against her restraints.

"I doubt that," she gasped, her need for water so great it was a wonder she hadn't passed out yet. But the redhead had an iron resolve that would not be broken. Or so she hoped.

"Really, Kimberly?" Dr. Director drawled on, ignoring the fact that her prisoner was literally dying of thirst. "I beg to differ. You were on every committee in school, you always called the shots on your missions, and do you remember what happened when you first met Agent Du?" Kim barely managed to shake her head. "You were so obsessed with defending your precious title of Captain of the Cheerleading Squad that you failed to notice the irony of your situation. For you see, it was your desire to be in charge that drove the success of the mission, not your lack of any ability to cooperate. And because of this you are no different than me."

"You know, Shego said the same thing," Kim rasped before producing a sound that Dr. Director figured was either a chuckle or a cough, maybe both. "You want me to fuck you too?" she jested, letting the one-eyed woman know she was not afraid of her. Instead of scowling, Dr. Director flashed the redhead a twisted smile.

"Ah yes, the green bitch," she commented, earning a half-hearted attempt at a growl from Kim. "You know, I never understood how two people as different as you could end up together. It defies all logic, not to mention the laws of nature."

"It's something you'll never understand," Kim whispered hoarsely, her need for water so great that she could hardly see. She coughed violently, and Dr. Director snapped her fingers, which one of the guards interpreted as a signal to get the tortured redhead some water. He returned momentarily with a glass full of the clear liquid and handed it to the one-eyed woman before returning to his post, casting a look of sympathy on Kim before he left.

Watching this was hurting him, and every fiber of his being told him that this was wrong; that Dr. Director should just stop before Kim died. But orders were orders, and he had to follow them. He cursed himself for lacking the courage to bust out the woman who had saved his family and inspired him to join GJ. Back then he had believed in his ideals; in justice. But this wasn't justice. This was control. He knew he was too far in to back out now, and Kim's resistance gave him hope. If she succeeded, that would mean freedom for himself and the rest of the agents who had been duped by Betty Director but were too scared to act. The look he gave her said, "We're counting on you."

All of this went unnoticed by the two women, who at the moment were locked in a duel of the mind. Neither would yield, but one held the advantage, while the other just refused to surrender or accept any offer from the other side. It was very tempting, though.

The clear liquid caught Kim's eye, and she lazily followed it as Dr. Director moved it in front of her, teasing her; tempting her; enticing her to submit. But she could not; she would not. She had to remain strong. But it was just a cup of water. One more thing to keep her alive longer so that she could resist Dr. Director's torture. Her body cried out for the life-giving substance, but her mind was slow to act. She leaned forward ever so slightly, pushing against her restraints with all the strength she could muster, in dire need of the water just inches from her face.

Dr. Director stopped her teasing and placed her finger under Kim's drool and sweat covered chin. "You've forgotten how to swallow," she explained as she tilted the younger woman's head upwards, "so I know this is going to be painful, but just try not to choke." With that, she tipped the glass and the clear liquid succumbed to gravity, allowing the irrevocable law of nature to propel it downwards into the mouth of the one who secretly desired it, but would never admit it, stopping it in her throat and involuntarily spitting it all out, splattering it all over Dr. Director, who simply tilted Kim's head back once more and poured it down the hatch again.

She met with the same result every time until the glass was empty. "Okay, so you don't want my little gift. Your fortitude is impressive. Or, are you just too weak to try and swallow?" she taunted, provoking the redhead in hopes of a response. Kim just hung there, too exhausted to think up a retort. Dr. Director growled and twisted the dial, shocking the younger woman to attention. She snapped her fingers once again, and the guard ran off to refill the water.

The one-eyed woman gripped Kim's chin and slapped the redhead's face with the back of her hand, causing a stream of bloody spit to fly out and splat against the steel floor. Kim's head simply bobbed as she made no attempt to hold it upright. She wanted to resist, but her body refused. She needed to rest; to recover. But Dr. Director had other ideas.

"Answer me!" the one-eyed woman demanded as the back of her hand collided with Kim's cheek once more, reddening the face of her prisoner. The redhead's only response was to look at her with half-closed, bloodshot eyes, on the verge of passing out. A parched moan escaped her lips, betraying her desperate thirst. At this time the guard returned with the water. Dr. Director tilted Kim's head upwards once more, pinching the redhead's nostrils shut and forcing the liquid down her throat. Kim gurgled and coughed, but the water kept coming, blocking her oxygen supply. She needed to remove the obstruction in order to breathe.

Setting the glass down, Dr. Director clamped the mouth of her captive shut. "Swallow!" she ordered.

Kim had forgotten how. Her system was in such shock from the electricity that her esophagus refused to respond. She was drowning. The rest of her body convulsed, trying to break free so that she could breathe. But there was only one way out of this. She had to swallow. But even if she could, that would mean submitting to her captor. And Kim did not want that.

A solitary droplet broke through and trickled down the back of her throat, soothing the raw and damaged tissue. It felt so cool; so refreshing, and Kim could not hold out any longer. She opened her throat and the water flooded down her esophagus, huge gulps causing a bulge in the redhead's neck as she downed the entire mouthful of liquid. The fingers released her nose and the redhead let out an involuntary sigh. A scowl developed on her face.

"Do you see how much easier it is when you submit?" Dr. Director sneered, celebrating her little victory. She was making progress.

"I only swallowed because I had no other choice," Kim protested, her voice less hoarse than before and nearly restored to its previous level of clarity. "Besides," she giggled, "this only means I can resist you longer." Her voice was filled with false bravado, putting on a defiant show and refusing to let Dr. Director know she was close to giving in just to stop the pain.

A wicked grin flashed across the one-eyed woman's face. "Good then, we still have plenty of time to play. Hopefully you won't resist this time. After all, you know how… painful that can get."

"I can handle it," Kim insisted, filled with new life and ready to take whatever Dr. Director threw at her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and in that instant, Kim felt as though she could truly do anything. But the only response she received was another mocking chuckle from Dr. Director.

"You know," the one-eyed woman spoke in a bemused tone, "this is more fun than I thought it would be. You see, I've been torturing you long enough to break anybody else on my staff, and yet you act like we haven't even started. A most worthy challenge indeed."

"Well what can I say, I've always kept a cool head under pressure." She paused, taking note of the cackle that emanated from Dr. Director's mouth. "Which is more than I can say for you."

Dr. Director continued to laugh, her emotionless façade slipping away and slowly being replaced with madness. To Kim's horror, she actually seemed to be _enjoying_ this. Not a good sign. Still, this might work to her advantage. After all, taking down crazies with delusions of grandeur was her specialty. But she had never encountered a sadist. It seemed Dr. Director's love for control knew no bounds. She would go to any lengths to force someone to submit to her will. That could be a problem. Hell, it already was.

"Are you planning to torture my eardrums with your incessant laughing?" Kim asked sarcastically. "Because after years of dealing with Drakken, I'm kind of immune."

Sobering quickly, Dr. Director set her features once more and moved towards the console. A slight giggle escaped her lips and she spoke up with an amused sigh. "I'm sorry," she breathed. "It's just that I got so carried away with shocking you I forgot about the other capabilities of the machine." A mad cackle burst forth from her lungs yet again and Kim began to question Dr. Director's sanity. She gulped.

"Other capabilities?" she almost whispered, a notable trace of uncertainty in her voice.

The laughter ceased, but the faint shadows of a smile still remained on Dr. Director's face. "You recall that the needles are attached to the nerves on your spine, correct?"

Kim nodded, a look of worry etched on her face.

"Well, do you know how pain signals are sent through your body?"

Kim shook her head, too frightened to think straight. Dr. Director's hands neared the keyboard, and Kim's muscles tensed. Her breaths shortened and became shallower, almost to the point of wheezing. Sweat beaded on her forehead, stinging her eyes as the salty water massed on her skin and trickled down past her eyebrows, following the curvature of her nose before dropping on her lips, where the young woman's tongue shot out like a snake and pulled it into her mouth. She curled her lower lip and kneaded it with her upper teeth. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain.

"Well," Dr. Director continued, noticing that Kim's heart rate had risen after her last remark, "the central nervous system operates on a complex set of firing neurons that communicate with each other through electrical impulses. Through the miracle of modern technology, we have been able to program in complex algorithms of electrical signals that can mimic specific sensations." Kim's eyes widened at that remark. "For example, when I enter this string of commands," her fingers tapped away at the keyboard, and Kim stifled a cry as an intense pressure developed on her left side. "It feels like I'm squeezing your ribs, doesn't it?" the one-eyed woman finished.

Kim nodded, her eyes clamped shut and her teeth gritted under her tightly sealed lips. She looked constipated.

Dr. Director entered another series of keystrokes and the pain dissipated, allowing Kim to breathe a sigh of relief. "That felt so real," she commented.

"It was real," the one-eyed woman replied, her hands leaving the keyboard for a moment as she turned around to address her prisoner. "At least in the sense that real is electrical signals interpreted by your brain."

"Wasn't that in a movie somewhere?" Kim remarked.

"I don't watch movies," the Head of GJ answered flatly. "But I do read. Descartes' 'Malicious Demon' argument adapted to become the 'Brain in the Jar' analogy is really quite fascinating. It actually applies to this situation." Kim tilted her head and quirked her eyebrow at this statement. "The pain is only in your head," Dr. Director explained, pressing a finger to her temple. "But the mind is easily deceived and the body will respond accordingly, whether what it feels is actually happening or not."

"So I can cancel out the pain by reminding myself that it's not real?" Kim surmised.

"Well, you theoretically could," the one-eyed woman replied, "but I've yet to see anyone achieve it." She typed in another string of commands and Kim braced herself. "Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have your fingers cut off? One," Kim stifled the urge to scream as her mind insisted that her index finger had just been hacked off, "by one," Now her middle finger was dismembered, "by one," Dr. Director finished her remark as her captive yelped with pain, curling her fingers to confirm that they were still attached.

'_It's not real, it's not real, it's not real,_' Kim reminded herself, trying her hardest to ignore the sensation of her digits being hacked off. But it was futile. The device attached to her back overrode her central nervous system and informed her body that it was sustaining damage, and the pain intensified as one by one Kim lost her fingers, despite the fact that when she looked up they were still attached to her hand.

As suddenly as it had come, the pain was gone, and Kim breathed a sigh of relief. Her respite was short-lived, however, as the rapid series of taps and clicks confirmed that another string of commands had been entered. She gulped.

"What's going to happen now?" Kim squeaked, terrified.

"You'll see," the one-eyed woman replied, not even bothering to face her victim, preferring instead to watch the beat of her heart accelerate in nervous anticipation. She didn't know where or when the pain would strike, which forced her to remain on edge, bracing her entire body for the agony that was sure to come. Her muscles burned as she flexed each and every one, tightening her facial features and locking her joints, pushing full force against her restraints. She wished it would just happen, wished that the pain would come so that she need not fear it. Her paranoia worsened with each passing second. Her heart threatened to explode, and the incessant beeping of the monitor was slowly driving her insane. Eventually her strained muscles could not hold out any longer and her body slackened.

"It's not coming, is it?" the redhead sighed, allowing herself to relax. "That was just to fuck with my head, right?"

Dr. Director turned her head slightly, enough to peer over her shoulder while still not showing her face. She chuckled. "Wrong," she answered as she pressed the final key.

Nothing happened for a moment. Kim's heart skipped a beat, causing the monitor to fall silent for a split second. In that instant, a bead of sweat dropped to the floor, and all the ears in the room heard the faint "plip" as it struck the metallic floor. Time stood still, and Kim held her breath. Then all hell broke loose.

Kim felt what she was sure was a bullet rip into her chest, causing her confused body to ripple and convulse from the imagined impact. Another struck her in the leg, and the redhead yelped in pain. A third strike impacted her stomach, and blood spewed from her mouth onto the monitor that recorded her heart rate, which had accelerated to 160 beats per minute. Screams were ripped forcefully from Kim's body with each simulated bullet, her body unable to tell the difference and her mind unable to convince it otherwise. She struggled like an animal against her restraints. Blood poured down her chin onto her chest, spraying wildly around the room as her body shook with convulsions. One of the guards turned away and deposited his last meal on the floor at the sight. Dr. Director, however, gazed at her suffering prisoner with the face of an axe murderer.

Kim felt herself beginning to lose consciousness. Blood began to run from her nose as well as her mouth, draining her body of its most precious resource and producing a light-headed feeling in the redhead. The monitor blared like a siren as Kim's heart rate rose to 180 bpm, her body in full-blown panic mode. Time seemed to slow as she made eye contact with Dr. Director.

Then her heart stopped.

* * *

"NO!" Shego screamed as she broke the connection and stood to her feet. "She's not supposed to die!" She leveled her finger accusingly at Stoppable. "You said she was supposed to live!"

Ron remained seated in the lotus position. His eyes were still closed, and no words came from his usually chatty lips. He seemed to be ignoring Shego.

"Answer me, you damned buffoon!" the green woman screeched. Is Princess gonna live or die?"

Again, no answer. Shego dropped to her knees, tears forming in her emerald eyes. "Please, tell me," she blubbered.

Ron's eyes opened and a bright blue emanated from his sockets. "It's time to go," he spoke solemnly.

"What? No!" Shego screamed as she noticed the world around her began to dematerialize. She was waking up. "Tell me damn it! Does Kimmie live or die?"

"Take care, Shego," Ron's voice echoed before he disappeared. Now Shego was all alone. Chunks of white broke off and were replaced with darkness. Shego let out one final cry of desperation.

"TELL ME!"

* * *

In the GJ Forensics Lab, a set of emerald eyes snapped open. Shego grabbed the collar of Dr. Wade Load and brought her face inches away from his. Her mouth opened and she demanded one thing of the supergenius.

"GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

* * *

_And there you have it folks. The result of a plot bunny gone wild. I originally only intended for this to be around 8,000 words, but I was off by around 7,000. I hope you can fight the urge to lynch me after that evil cliffie, but I had to stop somewhere. I'm almost done with this tale of mine, and I'd like to thank all the folks over at Slash Haven, particularly **Hobnobrev**, **King in Yellow** and **Apopstis** for helping me to get the torture right. If all goes according to plan, I should be getting reviews claiming I made people cringe, as was my intention. This thing is rated M for a reason. Only one more chapter and an epilogue left to go and then I'm done with this baby. Thanks to everyone for their support. Without you guys I'd just be rambling to myself. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


	15. Ignorance is Strength

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_This chapter was supposed to be the last one before the epilogue, but in the interest of pacing, I've decided to split it in half. It just works better. Therefore the purpose of this chapter is to set up the final battle. Hope you enjoy. Now it looks as if I may reach novel length with this story. I'm even planning a sequel. I would like to thank all the people who have read and reviewed this story, as well as the people over at Slash Haven for encouraging me to push Kim and Shego's relationship beyond the simple fling I thought it would be when I first started writing this story. As the length of this chapter clearly suggests, sometimes the characters just write themselves. I'm really getting into these longer chapters. I don't know if I'll ever finish this story at the rate I'm going. But enough intro. Here it is, in all its glory._

**Chapter 15**

Ignorance Is Strength

* * *

_Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice._

-Ayn Rand, _Atlas Shrugged  
_

* * *

"GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Her green eyes were filled with a panicked rage, almost psychotic. Her breaths were short and hard, unwashed teeth making for a rancid smell as the warm air hit his nostrils. She pulled him down so that their faces were mere inches apart, panting through closed teeth and staring at him crazily. But aside from his initial shock at the woman waking up, the expression on his face never changed from an impassive stare.

"Hey Shego," Wade greeted, unbothered by the awkward position he found himself in. "Glad to see you're up."

The green woman released him and leapt from the table to land on the cold, damp concrete floor of the lab. She seemed unconcerned with her nudity, focused on only one thing: finding Princess.

"Where's Kimmie?" she demanded, grabbing the supergenius by the shirt once more. This time Wade simply gripped her shoulders with his large black hands and effortlessly separated them, an emotionless expression on his face.

"I can't tell you," he announced, his gaze unflinching. She didn't scare him like she used to.

"WHY NOT?!" Shego roared, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

"Because I don't know!" Wade shouted back, losing his grip on the emotions he struggled to hold back. He hung his head in defeat. "I don't have clearance that high, and while I may have helped design the firewall, I've got no way to hack it without my signal getting traced. I made a security system even I can't crack. Plus, even if I could, I'm bound by GJ policy not to reveal her whereabouts under penalty of death to me and my entire family. I'm not like Kim. I can't do anything."

Shego stared at the man in front of her in utter disgust. That wasn't the Nerdlinger she knew. She knew the signs. He had allowed himself to be seduced by Dr. Director's promises and had sold his soul to the devil. Shego hated to see someone so utterly defeated. She had to snap him out of it if he was to be of any assistance in her escape.

"Oh, save it for someone who gives a shit!" Shego snapped, exaggerating her anger to motivate the young supergenius. "Kimmie couldn't do anything without you! Who made her gadgets, got her rides, tracked me and Dr. D to all corners of the earth and made a battle suit that was capable of defeating even me? You did, that's who!"

Wade sighed and shook his head. "That was a long time ago, Shego. Now I just look at dead people. After Kim joined GJ, I thought I was going to still be her support operative. But it turned out she didn't need me anymore. I didn't feel wanted, so I transferred over to here. It may not be the best, but at least here I can be alone. I'm not the same person I once was."

"Really?" Shego challenged. "You were the one who figured out who was behind this, all by yourself! You only needed a name and you tracked down the killer's file! That gave Kimmie and I a chance to stop him! Nobody could have seen this coming, but that doesn't make you any less of a genius! All that doubt is in your head! You CAN do anything with a computer! Don't let Betty fill you head with those damned lies!" She screamed the words at him, trying to get her message through his thick skull. But the man in front of her had been broken long ago.

"It wasn't Dr. Director," Wade whispered, "It was Kim."

Shego was dumbstruck for a moment. "What?"

"After Ron died, Kim blamed me," the supergenius revealed, sitting back down in his chair. Shego's eyes softened with sympathy for the enormous man in front of her who seemed close to tears. "She didn't say anything about it, but I could tell that she did by the way she looked at me. Everybody else she just shut out. But… she lashed out at me. Doubted me. Made her own calls. She wouldn't trust me." His hands were covering his face now, and Shego had pulled up a chair next to him, reminded of the fact that she was wearing no clothes as her bottom made contact with the coarse fabric. She turned the chair around backwards and rested her forearms on the backrest, placing her chin on top. She gazed at Wade with a look of sympathy.

"And now, I've let her down again," Wade despaired. "I should have been faster! But, I wasn't."

"Okay, Nerdlinger, pity party's over," Shego interrupted in a commanding tone. "What happened, happened. Now what the fuck are you gonna do about it?"

Wade raised his tear filled eyes to Shego's stern expression. She had grown tired of this. "I don't know," the supergenius whispered.

"Well I'll tell you what you're gonna do," Shego replied. "You're gonna get off your depressed ass and help me get Kimmie out of here! She's being tortured, Goddammit!"

Wade's eyes went wide with anger at the word "tortured." He shot to his feet. "Shit!" he screamed, grabbing his laptop. Shego smiled proudly. It had worked. Now the computer geek was at her disposal. And she didn't even have to lie to do it. If Kimmie was in danger, this guy would do anything and everything he could to save her.

"She told me she was going to interrogate her, not torture her!" Wade exclaimed as he tapped furiously away at his keyboard so fast that individual clicks were indistinguishable from one another.

"Doy! Aren't they the same thing?" Shego quipped.

"Not how she said it," the supergenius returned, cursing himself for letting himself be fooled like that. "That woman can spin anything to make it sound harmless." He reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow, narrowing his eyes and resuming his impossibly fast typing.

"Aren't you worried you're gonna burn out the keyboard like that?" Shego commented snidely, leaning over Wade's shoulder, not caring that her breasts were inches from his face. Not that he noticed with the way his eyes were focused on that computer screen.

"I have to go this fast," the supergenius answered. "All I need is a little window and I can patch into the security feed for about ten seconds."

"Ten seconds?" Shego balked. "That's it?!"

"Until the trace program I designed catches up with me and starts to figure out who I am," Wade explained. "Right now I'm trying to distract it and mask my signal. It's not easy. The only reason I'm able to is because I designed it. But even I can't defeat it."

"Well hurry it up, will you?" Shego demanded. "I need to know if Kimmie's still alive!"

"How did you know she was being tortured anyways?" the supergenius inquired.

"Monkey boy decided to communicate with me from the other side and showed me Kimmie. The things Dr. Director was doing to her… Oh, I want to kill that woman!"

"Ron?" Wade exclaimed, surprised. "Ron talked to you?"

"Long story. Explain later," Shego replied hurriedly. "All I know is before I cut off the connection, Kimmie's heart stopped."

Wade froze. His hands stopped moving, and Shego noticed that the tracer program was already trying to identify him. "Don't stop, keep going!" Shego scolded, slapping him upside the head to bring him back to attention. "Unless you want to get killed!"

Working even faster than before, Wade narrowed his eyes and his fingers became a blur, traveling across the keyboard at lightning speed. "Almost there," he grimaced through clenched teeth. "Got it!"

The trace program disappeared and the screen switched to a security camera view. Wade's eyes widened in horror and Shego fought back tears. "Oh Kimmie," she whispered, unable to take her eyes off the screen.

Kim's body was barely recognizable. Blood from her mouth covered her entire upper body and was slowly trickling its way down to the legs. Her auburn hair was charred where the electricity had converted to heat and burned her before dissipating. Her eyes were blackened, the blood vessels around them having ruptured from the extreme shock. Her lips were puffy and chapped, abused and in desperate need of water. A line of drool ran from her mouth, and her chest neither rose nor fell. The monitor at the edge of the camera's view displayed a flat line. The image of Dr. Director stood laughing over it all.

"She's… dead," Wade spoke, breaking the silence that had gone on too long. Shego said nothing, her eyes glued to the screen, looking for something, anything that would tell her Kim was alive. But her chest did not rise and fall and her heart was in ventricular fibrillation. It was only a matter of time before she went brain-dead.

Though it seemed like an eternity, the image vanished from the screen all too soon and Wade closed it, turning off the laptop to prevent the trace program from locating him. Neither said a word for several moments. Then Shego spoke up.

"Goddammit," she whispered, lowering her head in defeat. "This is all my fault. I should never have fallen in love with her."

"Your fault?" Wade challenged, unwilling to let someone else take the blame for what he believed was his mistake. "I work with Betty Director and I couldn't see this coming. Nobody could have. If anyone's to blame here, it's me! I should have known!"

"We've been through this before, Nerdlinger," Shego retorted, starting to pace around the small room. "You did everything you could for Princess. But I'm the one who got her into this damn situation to begin with. I should have been stronger and pushed her away so she wouldn't have to pay for my mistakes! God, I should have never even let myself fall in love with her! But no, I let my infatuation with her make me blind. And that one-eyed freak knew I had a soft spot for her, she knew it! This was all to get me, and I had to drag Kimmie into it. I should have just run the fuck away!" She slammed an ignited hand down on the steel table, leaving a smoldering dent.

"I'd say something about it being better to have loved and lost at this point, but you don't seem too interested in listening," Wade remarked, earning an infuriated scowl from the green woman. "So we both agree that neither of us could have seen this coming. But what are we gonna do about it?"

"What can we do about it?" Shego despaired as she threw her hands in the air, teardrops welling up in her eyes. "It's not like we can bring her back now! She's dead! That… _bitch_ killed her!" She gritted her teeth and brought her hands to her sides, clenching them into fists of rage. "I'll tell you what I'm gonna do," she grimaced, "I'm gonna take it to that freak right now and kill her the fuck back!"

Then something occurred to her.

"What the hell?" She opened and closed her hands, trying to trigger the muscles that would get her plasma to light. It was a sort of natural failsafe in case she was unable to light them telepathically if something were to compromise the neural pathways leading from the part of her brain that enabled her to control her powers. The doctors thought it was a tumor at first, but it was so integrated into her brain that surgery would have put her in a vegetative state at best and killed her at worst. If the control center were to take damage, she would lose fine control over her powers. She'd discovered this when she'd suffered a concussion back in her Team Go days. She learned that if she flexed the right muscles, she could control her powers manually while the main control center healed. It was riskier, and she could immolate herself and anyone within five-hundred yards of her if she wasn't careful, but she would at least be able to light up. Now… she couldn't even do that.

"Goddammit!" she exclaimed as the realization that she had been disarmed hit her. "That bitch stole my powers!"

"No, she duplicated them," Wade corrected, and Shego whipped her head around to face the supergenius.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, for one thing, she stated it in her log. I hacked in before, but with that tracer program in high gear I'll have to wait awhile before I can bring it up again," he explained, making Shego feel slightly more at ease.

"But even if she didn't say it, your skin's still green, isn't it?" he continued. "Not to mention I checked out that control center in your brain, and it's just gone dormant due to the shock that the process caused your system. The reason flexing your hands doesn't work is because she drained your body of all its power before dropping you off here. I had to inject you with a special serum to restore your elevated blood plasma level or you wouldn't be alive right now. Your powers are slowly rebuilding, but you'll need at least a week before you're fully charged."

Shego stared at him in amazement. "How did you know all that?"

"Please, I got your medical records with a few keystrokes. Army software is some of the easiest shit in the world to hack. For me at least."

"And I thought Kimmie could do anything," Shego joked, not even thinking about it. She gasped. "Kimmie!" Her thoughts had now come full circle, back to the subject that started this mess. She tried to run off, but Wade grabbed her by the arm. Under normal circumstances she would have ignited her hands and forced him to let go of her, but she remembered that she couldn't. The best she managed was a tiny green ember that missed Wade entirely, disappearing into the air a split second after its creation. Pathetic. Even more pathetic was the fact that the effort required to produce something so small drained what little energy was left, and Shego collapsed into Wade's arms.

"Now how do you expect to stop Dr. Director when you can't even get away from me?" he asked, sitting her down in a chair, where she hung limply. "You need rest, Shego. Rescuing Kim can come later. Now, I've arranged for a hoverjet to come pick you up after I break you out of here. Kim's gonna make it, I swear. But I need to get you somewhere safe for the time being."

"But… Kimmie…" Shego whispered desperately, on the verge of passing out. Wade pulled a syringe from the cart beside the table.

"This is anesthetic," he explained. "I'm going to inject you with this. When you wake up, you'll be in a safe place. Stay there until my people come get you. You're gonna be well taken care of, Shego. I promise."

"N-no… no needles…" the green woman protested, but Wade had already stuck the syringe in her arm. "Goodnight, Shego."

The last thought that crossed her mind before she lost consciousness was Kim's face.

* * *

Pain. Throbbing pain.

'_Where am I?_'

Aching. Distant pain.

'_What happened?_'

Darkness. Chaos. Confusion.

'_Am I… dead?_'

Silence. No answer.

'_Hello?_'

Echoes. No response.

'_Can anybody answer me?_ _Where am I?_'

Pain. Darkness. Confusion. Silence. Echoes.

'_Did I die? What's going on?_'

No answer. Silence again. Fog. White noise.

'_Anybody there? Anybody?_'

Nothing. Void. Nonexistence.

'_Shego? Are you there? What's going on?_'

Whining. High pitched mechanical whining.

'_Hello?_'

Zap!

'_Ow! What the hell!_'

Zap!

'_Okay, whoever's doing that, it's not funny! Stop it!_'

Zap!

'_Who are you?_'

Zap!

'_AAAAAH!_'

* * *

Kim's eyes snapped open and a scream forced its way from her mouth. Her skull was on fire. Her entire body felt encased in magma. Thousands of needles assaulted her head. She took in a huge gasp, followed by several pants. She tried to speak, but the words would not form. Absolutely mind numbing pain!

After a few moments, she calmed down enough to think about what had just happened. Already the details of her "dream" were slipping through her newly awake neurons as she desperately tried to remember where she was. She glanced around and saw various instruments used for torture. She saw blood. Her blood. Her breathing sped up again and her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. She tried to move and realized she was manacled to a slab. Running purely on adrenaline, Kim struggled against her restraints like an animal, to no avail. Where the fuck was she? She began to hyperventilate and her heart sped up to dangerous levels.

The slap came from nowhere. A hand impacted against her right cheek, snapping her out of her panic attack. Using her martial arts training, Kim closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Slowly, the memories came back to her. She was a prisoner. Dr. Director had been torturing her for the last three hours. The last thing she remembered before waking up was the sensation of bullets ripping through her. Then…

"You killed me!" She screamed at the one-eyed woman, who had a smirk painted on her face. "You fucking killed me!"

"And I just literally raised you from the dead," Dr. Director added, as if it were really necessary.

"But you killed me to begin with!" the redhead countered with what any sane person would have seen as a very good point. But Kim was beginning to have serious doubts that the woman in front of her was mentally well.

"I got a little carried away," the one-eyed woman explained. "If you'd just done what I told you and welcomed the pain instead of fighting it, you never would have gone into shock."

"You're blaming this on _me_?" Kim shouted incredulously. "Pain isn't exactly something I welcome! In fact, any sane person would do the opposite of welcoming. You're crazy!"

"Kimberly, have you ever encountered a riptide?" Dr. Director interjected, ignoring her.

"What the hell has that got to do with anything?"

The one-eyed woman grinned. "More than you might think. You see, on every beach where there's the possibility of a riptide, they post a sign that says something to the effect of, 'Don't try to swim against the current or it will keep dragging you under. Let it carry you out to sea, and then swim back to shore. You see, Kim, It's like quicksand. The more you fight it, the deeper you sink into it. That's how a spider catches its prey, too. The more you struggle in the spider's web, the more tangled you become. The more you resist me, the more you belong to me." She punctuated that last sentence by holding her hand in front of Kim's face and closing it into a fist. Kim didn't even flinch.

"You're insane."

"Visionaries are often regarded as mentally ill. To change the world, one must view it from a different perspective." There it was again. That lecture voice. Like she was back in college. Well, not college per se. Since Ron had been killed slightly after graduation, Kim had dropped out of what few colleges she had applied to, most of which were overseas. All that was left was Global Justice. Kim had listened to that voice drone on for hours a day, but at the time she had been fascinated by it. Of course, back then she was under Dr. Director's spell. Now she knew the truth.

"I think I read that on a motivational poster somewhere," Kim commented in a way that sounded a lot like Shego. "You're not as original as you think you are."

"Neither are you," Dr. Director countered, shifting the conversation back to Kim. "I'm reminded of a quote by James Thurber. I always got a chuckle out of it. He asked, 'Why do you have to be a non-conformist like everybody else?'" She laughed at her own little joke.

"Okay, but maybe there's a reason resisting authority is so cliché," Kim offered, trying to buy herself time before the next volley. She had to be careful or it could end up backfiring on her. "I don't think that's what he meant." The student was now able to match wits with the master. Dr. Director smiled inwards. She was learning.

"Oh, and what did he mean?"

"He meant that you should never side with the majority. Be yourself. All that nonsense. I still don't see how it fits." There. That should do it.

It didn't, judging from the toothy smile that spread across the one-eyed woman's face. "Really, Kimberly? What majority am I siding with? How am I not being myself? But you are right that it's nonsense. And it fits perfectly." In four sentences, she had refuted every single point as though she had written an entire essay. Only two people in the world were clever enough form a retort.

Kim was one of those people. "But we're not talking about you."

Unfortunately for Kim, Dr. Director was the second. "Quite right. It leads back to my original point, Kim. The more you try to fight the inevitable, the more you find yourself trapped in it. It's the same reason people wait in lines at the supermarket. If they all were to move, there would just be another line in a different place. And so it is with this. If everybody tries to rebel in the same basic way or against the same basic authority, doesn't that make them all the same?"

"I—"

"It does. Remember what I told you yesterday, how there isn't going to be any revolution because everybody wants to be a leader and not a follower? Well, I think now you understand what I meant by that. The trick is to give the masses a suitable target. A scapegoat. Something to focus their hate on."

"I hate _you_." Kim seethed.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual," Dr. Director replied dryly. "But there's always time for change."

Kim scoffed. "Right. Like you could really change me. I've lasted this long."

"Yes, you're right," the one-eyed woman hummed, stroking her chin with her thumb and index finger. Her eye lit up and the expression on her face was halfway between lottery winner and axe murderer. Grinning devilishly, she strode over to the console.

"Hate is such a strong word, Kimberly," she began, typing in a string of commands. Kim expected pain, but instead a large view screen came down from the ceiling. "Absolutes are so rare in today's world. I won't say that there are no absolutes, because that's one right there." Kim rolled her eyes. "However, you will soon learn that there are exceptions to every rule."

"Yeah, like the rule about me joining you," Kim spat in response, a weak retort at best. She was running out of sarcastic remarks.

"Or the rule about you only liking boys," Dr. Director countered. She typed a few more commands into the keyboard, and the view screen came to life. Out of habit, Kim turned her attention there.

She shouldn't have.

"Do you remember the first time you said you hated somebody, Kimberly?" the one-eyed woman asked. "And meant it? I'm sure this will refresh your memory." With that, a scene began to play on the view screen. Kim's eyes grew wide in horror.

* * *

"You know what I really hate?" Kim spat the words. In the rain, it was hard to tell how much the other woman had sweat during their fight, but she was clearly exhausted. Having to pull yourself up from a ledge after nearly falling to your death really takes a lot out of a person. Still, she managed to shift into a fighting stance.

"That your… date melted?" she remarked. Wrong answer.

"Nah, you." With that, Kim drove her super suit-enhanced foot into Shego's gut, forcing up blood from deep within her that was quickly wiped away by the torrential rain. She screamed in terror as she flew back a good fifty feet into the electrified antenna, where she was subjected to tens of thousands of volts of electricity. As the tower collapsed into the building, she went with it, falling into what appeared to be her tomb.

Kim stood proudly above it all, narrowing her eyes in a triumphant smirk as lightning flashed behind her. She had done it. She had defeated Shego.

* * *

"NOOOOO!" Back in the present, Kim shouted at the view screen, hoping that what she'd seen wasn't the truth. But it was. She'd lived it. It was the first time she got a glimpse of her dark side. The one event she had tried her hardest to forget.

Shego had obviously come out alright. Her powers acted as a thermocouple, allowing her to convert the electricity into plasma and dissipate the heat. But she still must have felt immeasurable pain. It was nothing compared to the pain Kim felt now. She lowered her head as a solitary tear ran down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Shego," she whispered so quietly she didn't think anybody else could hear it. But Dr. Director did.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" the one-eyed woman challenged, tearing open the old wound. "After all, anybody in your position would have done the same. Shego almost ruined your perfect night. She kidnapped your boyfriend. She did it on prom, of all nights. God forbid anybody ruin your perfect night." It was quite clear now that Dr. Director was mocking her.

"Shut up," Kim growled through gritted teeth. "She only did what Drakken told her to."

"But you didn't notice that, did you? No. You were too busy obsessing about that walking dildo you called a boyfriend." For once, they could agree on something. Eric was an asshole. Now that she thought about it, he technically did qualify as a recreational toy. The thought made her shiver.

"So what? I learned my lesson. Ron pulled me out of there."

"Yes, Ron saved you. Reassured you in your moment of greatest need. And so you fell in love with him. But what about Shego? You wanted her to die, didn't you? You savored every last second of her screaming. Because she got in the way of what you wanted. And you hated her. Didn't you?"

Kim kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to answer that.

"DIDN'T YOU?" Dr. Director smacked Kim across the face with the back of her hand, spilling even more blood. Kim slowly turned her head back to face the one-eyed woman.

"Not as much as I hate you," she spat venomously.

"So you admit to hating her, then," Dr. Director continued, twisting the words of her captive. "And it felt good to let out that frustration, didn't it? You actually wanted her to die."

"What are you trying to do?" Kim demanded, growing tired of the questions that Dr. Director seemed to be asking for no reason other than to torment her. "Yes, I hated her! Yes, I was a total bitch that night! Yes, I wanted her to die! But I'm not that kind of person anymore! People change!"

"And what kind of person are you?" the one-eyed woman barked like a Drill Sergeant.

"Well I'm sure as hell not like you!"

Silence for a moment. Neither woman said anything to the other. Kim was breathing heavily like an enraged bull. Her face was red with anger. Sweat poured from her forehead, stinging her eyes, but she didn't care. She focused her intense glare on the woman in front of her. Dr. Director was impassive, stone-faced as always. After a moment, the head of GJ broke the silence.

"That," she said calmly, "is what I am trying to change."

* * *

'_How is she?_'

Voices, coming from nowhere. They sounded so distant, echoing in her aching head. There was something familiar about one of the voices. "Huh? Where am I?"

'_Her temperature is a little low.'_

'_How low?'_

'_100 degrees Farenheight.'_

'_That's almost normal human temperature. She must have gone through a lot of trauma.' _

"Yeah, ya think?" The words stopped at her lips. Her mouth would not move. Neither would her eyes. She was paralyzed. Frozen. Trapped in herself.

'_She looks paler than normal. What did they do to her?'_

'_Dr. Load says they found a way to duplicate her powers. That's the reason she has the scar.'_

'_Where?'_

She felt her shirt lifted up. "At least I have clothes on this time. Where the fuck am I?" To her, the words sounded clear as day. But the other voices did not hear them.

'_I see. At least her healing ability has kicked in.' _

'_Yes, in a few days you won't even be able to tell she ever had it. If only we could find a way to use these powers for medicine.'_

"Sorry, sister, but people have tried. The only way you can get this is to be hit by a comet from outer fucking space. And it's not an experience I recommend."

'_I think she's had enough people poking around her body for a lifetime.'_

"Good. At least somebody has some common sense." Where had she heard that voice before?

'_Yes, doctor.'_

Doctor? She was in a hospital? That would explain the beeping she now heard, as well as the oxygen mask on her face. She fought to open her eyes, to see where she was.

'_Doctor, I think she's waking up.'_

"I've BEEN up. I just can't move. Damn, what have they got me on?"

'_Yes, I think she's finally decided to join us. Let's let her rest for now. She's been through a lot.'_

'_Yes, Doctor."_

"No, wait! Who are you? Where am I? Come back!"

'_Goodnight, Shego.'_

* * *

Kim's limp, exhausted, broken body was lifted from the manacles and hung over the shoulder of one of the guards.

"Take her back to her cell and see that she gets an IV drip. I don't want her dying."

'_Why? Afraid you won't be able to bring me back again?_'

"Yes, sir."

'_Sir? I never got that. Maybe 'cause you're a little butch?'_

"And get her a bath and some fresh clothes. I don't want to be looking at a bloody mess."

'_But mommy, I don't wanna take a bath.'_

"Yes sir."

'_Yes Dr. Man Woman, sir. God, your face is so masculine. I wonder if it's the eye patch?'_

"Good. You have your orders. Now go."

'_Bye, "sir." And I thought I was a dyke. You're a mega-butch. If I didn't hate you so much, I'd suggest we bone sometime.'_

Kim felt the wind against her sweat-soaked skin. Where she was going she didn't know and didn't care. All that mattered is that she had made it out of there alive. She hadn't given in.

Warm water flowed over her skin and washed away the caked blood. It felt soothing, relaxing. The fact that someone else's hands were touching her didn't even register with the redhead. At least it wasn't painful.

After the bath she felt a towel gently dry every inch of her body, and a pair of fresh clothes was slipped on her. Through it all, she remained limp as a sleeping cat. She was drained. She felt herself hoisted into the air again.

Kim's damaged nerves barely registered the feeling of being gently set down into the bed of her cell. She didn't want to open her eyes. She was exhausted. Spent. Every last ounce of adrenaline gone. But she had won. By refusing to give in, she had won. A smile made its way across her face and she started to giggle. She didn't even flinch as the IV slid into her arm, because she didn't notice it. The last thing on her mind before she drifted off into sleep was how proud Shego would be of her.

* * *

"WHERE'S KIMMIE?"

"I-I don't know!"

Shego slammed the woman in pink scrubs up against the wall. She had a crazy gleam in her eyes. "Where the hell am I?"

"M-Middleton General Hospital. Some men in strange uniforms dropped you off in the emergency room. We moved you to Intensive Care."

"Did they say who they were working for?"

"I-I wouldn't know that. I'm not the one who admitted you. Only your doctor and the admitting nurse know that! I swear it's the truth!"

"And who's my doctor?"

"I am." The voice came from behind her. It sounded so familiar. "Put her down, Shego."

Having grown bored with scaring the poor nurse half to death, Shego set the trembling woman down. "Sorry about that," she told her, but the nurse just ran out of the room in a panic. Shego turned around to follow her when her eyes ran straight into a woman she thought she'd never see.

She was like Kim, only older. Her red hair was contrasted by light blue eyes and her white lab coat clung to her slender frame. Shego could see where Kimmie got her natural beauty. "You're Kimmie's mom," she realized.

"Call me Anne," the woman replied warmly. "Are you quite done interrogating innocent nurses or do I have to call security?"

"That girl does _not _know how to put in an IV," Shego answered, indicating the bruise that was now forming on the inside of her elbow.

"And you do?" Anne asked in a much more sincere tone than Shego expected.

"Trust me, doc, when you've had blood samples taken all your life, you get to know your way around needles."

"Margaret's been a nurse for nearly five years. I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding," Dr. Possible insisted.

"I mean, it wasn't that she doesn't know how to put one in, it's just that her hands were shaking too much. I think she was scared of me."

"I'll be sure to talk to her about it," Anne promised. "Would you like me to put it in?"

Shego shook her head. "I'll do it myself. It's not that I don't think you know how, it's just… I really don't trust anybody else when it comes to needles."

"I understand."

"So what the fuck happened to me?" Shego asked as she sat down on her bed, grabbing the needle and shoving it into a vein that took her less than a second to find. Dr. Possible looked genuinely surprised that she was that adept. Shego would have made a fine doctor.

"Wade called me and told me everything."

"Everything?" Shego was now sitting up in her bed. Dr. Possible had taken the clipboard from the foot of the bed and was looking over it.

"Everything," she confirmed.

"Even the part about—"

"You and Kim? Yes, I know." For some reason, the way she said that actually made Shego feel better.

"So…"

Dr. Possible never looked up from her clipboard "Don't worry. You're a fine choice."

"But—"

"Kimmie and I stopped speaking after Ron died. From what Wade told me, it sounds like you brought out a little of the old Kim. Anyone who can do that I'd be glad to have as part of the family." She made eye contact with the green woman for that last sentence.

"So you're okay with this?" Shego hadn't given this sort of thing much thought, but she certainly hadn't expected it to go like this.

"If you're wondering whether or not that will affect my performance as a Doctor, the answer is that my daughter is old enough to make her own decisions. I just have to trust she made the right one. And even if you were a convicted child rapist, I would still do my job to the best of my ability. I'm required to treat all patients equally."

"Have you ever made an exception to that rule?"

"Shego, the only exceptions to that rule I've made are for people who are on my good side. I'd never kill someone by neglecting my duties just because I don't like them. And I like you, Shego. You've brought out a side in my daughter that I haven't seen since Ron died. Besides, we're a lot alike."

"Well, so far the only sign of that I've seen is that we both call her Kimmie."

"It's more than that, Shego," Dr. Possible insisted. "I've taught Kimmie to always stay true to herself, to not let the fact that she's a woman hold her back, and to make her own decisions. These are the rules I have followed. They're the same principles I see at work in you. You love my daughter, Shego, and it's clear she loves you. Wade has given me more than enough evidence on that front."

"So Freud was right," Shego quipped.

"I beg your pardon?"

"He said all boys want to marry their mothers. Maybe the same thing is true of lesbians. As controversial as he was, I don't think even Freud was willing to go that far."

Dr. Possible laughed. "Whenever Kimmie talked about you, she was always so impressed by your sense of humor. With your insights you'd make a good psychologist. That, or a stand-up comic."

Shego ignored that last part. "Wait, Kimmie talked about me?"

"All the time, Shego. At first I thought it was a little unhealthy, but she… admired you, Shego. She wanted to be like you, only on the hero side instead of a villain. I think she was growing obsessed with trying to turn you good."

"Well, she got me to neutral," Shego remarked, leaning back on her upright pillow. "I guess that counts for something." Shego sighed. "And now because of me she's in deep shit, maybe dead. And there's no way for me to get her out of there."

"I always had my suspicions about Betty," Anne commented, never breaking stride. "She never could settle for second best."

"Wait, you knew her?" This was news to Shego. Even though they looked about the same age, she never suspected that Kimmie's mom and Dr. Director might have known each other.

"We were college roommates. I was getting my pre-med degree while she was considering a career in Criminal Justice. Back then she still had both eyes."

"Any idea how she lost it?"

"Her eye?"

"Oh yeah, that too, but I mean, how did she suddenly go all nutso?"

"Well, she's not technically insane, but Betty can be a bit… blind in her ambitions." Her eyes dropped a little at that remark, while Shego couldn't help giggling at the pun.

"You're speaking from experience, aren't you?" Shego guessed.

"There was this one young science major," Anne began. "He was one of the smartest men I ever laid eyes on. Confident, funny, a little off, but he always put my needs first. I knew right then he was the man I wanted to marry." She seemed to drift off at that last statement. She sat down in the chair next to Shego's hospital bed.

"So what does this have to do with Betty?" Shego interrupted.

"It turned out we liked the same things in a man. James was seeing both of us at the time, and we were competing amongst ourselves to see who he would choose. He was, as always, completely oblivious. I thought it was all in good fun. Nobody ever said anything about exclusivity, and Betty and I agreed to share. Then, one night, he proposed to me. I of course said yes, never giving Betty a second thought but… it destroyed her. After James and I were engaged, she moved out, and I never heard from her again until she resurfaced as the head of GJ."

"So now she has some sort of personal vendetta?" Shego surmised.

"She has a lot of those," Dr. Possible responded. "Shego, I told you that story in hopes that you'll understand that what Betty's doing to Kim has nothing to do with you. You're not to blame."

"And you are?" Shego challenged.

"Nobody is," Anne replied. "Betty is the only one to blame for this. Not me, not you, and especially not Kim. We just have to trust that it all works out okay." She sighed and slid deeper into her chair.

She would never have said it, but Shego could see it in Dr. Possible's eyes. "You're worried, aren't you?" The voice was genuine, free of sarcasm. Dr. Possible looked at Shego with the most serene expression the green woman had ever witnessed.

"Shego, as a doctor, I'm used to high-stress situations. Not knowing whether someone will live or die, it takes a lot out of you. Even more when that person is your own flesh and blood. As a mother, I'm worried for Kimmie, but I've also learned to trust her to handle herself. I can't do anything more for her. I've taught her all I can, and I have to hope that's enough. It's what I used to tell myself every time she went out on a mission. I haven't been wrong yet."

Shego stared in awe at the woman in front of her. She was doubtless worried sick about her daughter, but she had learned to accept it and trust Kim to get through it on her own. It was kind of… inspiring. Dr. Possible turned to Shego once more and their eyes locked.

"Shego, I know what Kimmie does is dangerous. I accepted a long time ago that there's a very real possibility she could die. But I've never known her to quit. She'll make it, Shego. You have to trust that."

Shego dipped her head and sighed. "I know you're right, it's just… so hard."

"I know, Shego," Dr. Possible reassured her, standing up. "You should rest for now. Try to have faith. Promise me, even if Kimmie doesn't make it back, that you won't run off until I release you. I'm a healer first, Shego, and I don't want you going anywhere until you're fully recovered. After that, you can go wherever you want. But until you've healed, I want you to stay glued to that bed. Promise me?"

"I promise," Shego replied. She meant it, too, much to her own surprise.

"Good," Dr. Possible said warmly. "Now then, I do have other patients. Is everything alright in here?"

"A-OK," Shego assured her, giving her the "thumbs-up" sign.

"Alright then." Dr. Possible was now at the door. "Do you want your light off so you can get some rest?" Shego nodded. Just before Dr. Possible clicked the lights off, Shego spoke.

"Doc!"

"Yes, Shego?"

"Thanks. For everything."

Dr. Possible smiled warmly. "My pleasure. Good night."

"Good night."

The door clicked shut and Shego adjusted the mattress so that she was laying all the way down. A smile crossed her face and she let out a sigh as she drifted off to some well-deserved sleep.

* * *

A figure crept along the empty halls of the Global Justice infirmary. Given the figure's size, he should have been seen immediately, but only if the guards had infared goggles to trace his heat signature. Tiny optical chips in the fabric recorded the wavelength of what little light shone in the darkened halls and sent out a counter-wavelength, literally bending the light around the suit and the person wearing it. It was quite ingenious, and very handy. But then, Dr. Wade Load was a genius. More than that, a supergenius.

With no danger of being seen by the cameras, all that was left to worry about was the prospect of someone actually _hearing_ him, made easier by the heavily padded soles of the boots. Besides, there was only a skeleton crew tonight. The rest of the staff was at some big meeting, which Wade hadn't been invited to anyway, so he doubted he'd be missed. The guards tonight weren't even human.

If Wade hadn't been convinced that Betty Director was evil before, the sight of a synthodrone just meters away confirmed this theory. Only villains used artificial henchmen. GJ had always prided itself on being run by flesh and blood. Not anymore.

Wade considered killing the synthodrone, but that wouldn't have done him much good as the other synthodrones would have seen the gooey remains of their comrade and begun to suspect someone was here. Syntho-goo was a bitch to clean up. So he just decided to stand still and wait until the sentry passed. Soon he was all by himself again.

The halls of GJ Headquarters were designed like a maze. Every end lead to something, of course, but there were so many intersections one could easily get lost if they didn't have a HUD built right into the mask of their super suit. In order to conceal his face, Wade had to come up with a mask that covered his entire head, making him look like Mr. T in a ninja suit, albeit without the Mohawk. A translucent map was directly in front of his face, guiding him to his destination by GPS.

His breathing began to get shallower as he neared his destination. He had to be sure. This wasn't a hacking job. Anybody could rig an image on the security cameras. He needed to see it with his own two eyes before he'd believe it. He needed to prove this—for himself.

The supergenius' heart began to thud softly in his chest as he approached the door. It required coded access. Nothing he couldn't hack. But he had something quicker.

Taking out a small electronic device, Wade plugged it into the keypad. A lot of people who used this method used code crackers, which operated on a complex set of algorithms to do what was essentially a process of elimination. They were ineffective 90 percent of the time, however, and Wade needed something guaranteed to get him past the thick metal door.

And so he had invented this. Similar to a thumbdrive, the device plugged into a port and, instead of trying to crack the code, it simply _rewrote_ it, replacing the system's program with its own. In his head, Wade chuckled. The people who designed this stuff were on the lookout for people who would seek to _defeat_ their precious handiwork. It never occurred to them to safeguard against someone who merely wished to commandeer the system for their own purposes. He knew this because he had been one of those people. Within moments, the door hissed open. And Wade stepped through, taking the device with him so he could get back out.

Shutting off his HUD so that he could get a better view, Wade's eyes focused on the sight in front of him. He breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God.

Though the chamber was dimly lit, Wade could still see enough to make out a slumbering female form on the bed in the cell in front of him. She looked so peaceful. Creeping closer, he peered through the Plexiglas. She was about twenty feet away, but he could still make out her angelic face that looked so utterly serene, delicate eyelids shut due to sheer exhaustion. The dark bags under her eyes had disappeared with sleep, and the blood had been wiped from her skin. Her soft, auburn hair had even been neatly combed, and her breaths rose and fell steadily and peacefully.

Wade suddenly wondered why he had spent so many years underground, focusing on dead people, when keeping people alive was what he enjoyed doing most. The years he had spent helping Kim and running her website were the best years of his life. Even though she had always been out in the field, he was a huge help, and Kim had always made sure Wade knew that. It was Kim who had helped him overcome his agoraphobia—fear of going out in public—and come out of his room more often. That's what Kim did. She helped people. And she had inspired Wade to do the same.

Already a plan was brewing in the supergenius' mind. Dr. Director would doubtless keep trying to break her until she succeeded, so Wade needed to strike when the Director was most vulnerable. Unfortunately, that time was when she was torturing Kim. There was something about the spirited redhead that caused her to lose control, and in order to take full advantage of this, Wade was going to have to put Kim in harm's way. She would be willing to take the same risk, he was sure. Kim always sacrificed herself for others.

"I'll get you out of here soon, Kim," he whispered to himself, confident that nobody would hear him. "You just stay strong, alright." He paused. This was the hard part. "Kim, I love you." Even though she would never hear it, he had to say it now, or else he would never make peace with it. "I've always loved you. Before I met you, I was just another kid who never came out of his room. But… you gave me a purpose. You made me feel like I could do anything. At first I thought it was just a crush, but… a typical crush only lasts a year. I realized that I loved you the night of the junior prom, when you realized you loved Ron." He sighed.

"It's kinda funny," he continued, no longer caring who heard him. "You never know what you've got till it's gone. I always knew you would never feel the same way about me as I did about you, but… to have that special secret felt… nice. I was an ass. You were right to doubt me after Ron died. Part of me thought, 'Good, now I've got her all to myself.' I was jealous of you and Shego. I thought, 'Hell, if she can hook up with her arch-nemesis, there might be hope for me after all.' But that was stupid. I let my jealousy land you here. And now, I gotta get you out. An apology won't do you much good. But, if it's any consolation, I've got Shego someplace safe. With someone who loves you and will understand your new relationship." He stopped.

"I love you Kim. Even though I know you'll never feel the same way, I just want you to know I love you. And I always will. I'm gonna help you anyway I can. Stay strong, Kim. I'll do what I can."

With that, he turned and left, sneaking back the way he came, never noticing the audio-visual camera in the upper corner had switched to an infared lens.

* * *

Whenever a large amount of people gather in one place, conversations become contests. If you can't hear what you're saying over the dull roar of the crowd, you speak louder. This in turn makes the noise of the room louder. The other sections of the crowd, all carrying on their own unique conversations, now have to speak even louder to hear themselves. And so the cycle continues until the entire room is engulfed in chaos and anyone standing in the middle of it is overwhelmed at the dozens of things being said at once, trying to sort it all out in their finite brain.

Anyone, that is, except Betty Director.

Whenever an authority figure enters the scene, the need to speak louder than everybody else disappears and the whole crowd becomes rapt with silence. All eyes turn towards the one who has just come onto the stage. The figure holds such power over the crowd that is, for the moment, awestruck. All eyes are focused on this person. It can be rather intimidating. The trick, they say, is to imagine the audience in their underwear. But if everybody is in their underwear, then the one wearing extra garments is the one singled out. And so focus is drawn back to the lone person who commands the attention of the room.

No, the real trick is to remind yourself that you're better than they are, or they wouldn't be paying attention to you in the first place. But you don't flaunt this. Your actions must reflect this sense of power, but you must stroke the audience with your words. Let them know you're on their side. Win their sympathies. If you control the majority, you control everything. Of course, when you have them all whipped to begin with, it's a lot easier.

"Hello, gentlemen." Dr. Director's voice was flat and confident, filling the small room that housed an entire rogue's gallery. This operation was top priority, and she treated it very seriously. The men in this room were hailed by some as the most dangerous men alive, but compared to Dr. Director, they were kittens. Pawns in a chess game they were too insane to understand. They belonged in a mental institution, but they were good at one thing: drawing a lot of attention to themselves.

Raving psychos stand out in a crowd. Eccentricities that are not the norm will be taken note of by the masses. The criminally insane are newsworthy. For some morbid reason, people really want to hear about how a man wearing a dress kidnapped and raped a six year old girl and then dumped her body in the river. Not that the present company was even capable of such a thing. Hell, they were just overgrown toddlers, too egocentric to realize that what they did actually had consequences. But that worked to Dr. Director's advantage.

"As you are all undoubtedly aware, I have called you here for a very special mission. A mission that will change the world forever. A mission that will see Global Justice as the most powerful organization in the world."

"So? Get on with it, lassie! Ah've been waitin' three hours on ya' sorry arse. Wha's all this abou'?" Dr. Director didn't even have to turn her head to know who had just spoken. Hell, nobody even took their eyes off of her.

"I apologize for the delay, Mr. Killigan," the one-eyed woman replied in the most formal of tones. "I was hard at work on another part of the plan. It took a little longer than expected."

"A lil'? Ah dunno ha much longa' ah can listen to these lunatics! They' drivin' me mad!"

Dr. Director kept her honest opinion of that remark to herself. Now was not the time to be burning bridges. "I assure you, it was worth it. I got what I needed." She was lying, of course. Five hours of intense torture and she was still no closer to breaking Kim than she had been on day one. Still, this part of the plan was ready to move forward at least.

"If we're quite done, I think Betty wishes to share something with us." The refined British accent was a far cry from the crazed Scotsman. "I suggest we let her."

"Thank you, Lord Fiske," Dr. Director spoke up. The monkey-man's response was an elegant nod. "Now, if you please, I do indeed have something to show you." She grabbed one of the buttons on her uniform and undid it. A gasp fell over the crowd. What was she _doing_?

As always, it was Professor Dementor who broke the tension. "Oh yez! Now ve are getting somevere! I was about to be ordering some Pay-Per-View porn! Zis meeting is zo boring! Finally ve are getting some action!" A room full of accusing eyes were suddenly focused on the vertically challenged mad-scientist. "Vat?"

Dr. Director, meanwhile, smirked. "I assure you it's nothing like that, gentlemen. Although I promise you will like it, Professor. After all, you've stolen this sort of technology before."

"Vat is zat supposed to be meaning?" the bewildered Austrian asked. "I have stolen plenty of technology! Be getting to ze point already!"

In response, the one-eyed woman tore off her uniform to reveal a skintight bodysuit. It was navy blue in color, with patches of psychedelic red adorning the arms, legs and waist. It hugged her shapely curves, and every tongue in the room was suddenly hanging out of their respective mouths.

"Oh, right, _zat_ technology. Ugh, don't be reminding me." Professor Dementor was clearly less than enthused. Dr. Director knew why.

"I thought you looked cute in a dress," the head of GJ teased.

"It vas a HOUSECOAT!" Dementor bellowed, standing up and trying to look intimidating. However, this isn't the best strategy when you're less than five feet tall. Still, the German accent helped express the anger and Dr. Director decided to let it go. She didn't want anybody leaving.

"Och, ya think you've go' it bad, try having every lil' bugger callin' ya a 'bearded lady'! I'S A KILT!" Duff Killigan lifted it up to show everyone, who all averted their eyes. They didn't want to test the rumor that Scotsmen didn't wear anything under their kilts.

"Gentlemen, I assure you, these super suits are not at all emasculating. Agent Du." A stone-faced Asian man strode out calmly to display an outfit similar to Dr. Director's, only it was black and the red patches were arranged in a tribal pattern that wrapped like a serpent around the arms and legs. Spirals adorned the two halves of the chest, with a straight line going down the middle. Each shoulder was emblazoned with a demonic crest, and the visage of a Chinese dragon was stretched across the upper back. It looked far more masculine.

"Most interesting," Señor Senior Senior mused as he stroked his chin. "Junior, what do you think?"

"It is very manly. And it harmonizes quite well with your hair. Do you by any chance use Le Goop?" Agent Du nodded. "I use it as well," Junior boasted as he pulled out a comb and began to touch up his helmet head.

"Dude, seriously, that outfit rocks heavy metal! W-A-A-A-A-AH!" Motor Ed's air guitar antics drew the attention of the room. Negative attention, that is.

"I've been reduced to working with a bunch of buffoons," Monkey Fist lamented. "Though with a few adjustments, that would look very nice on my monkey ninjas."

"So wha's ya' price, lassie? I' can't be free."

"That's the beauty of it. We're offering these suits to you, free of charge, for you to do with them what you wish. Think of it as a… reward."

"Okay, now I am being confused," Professor Dementor spoke up. "Vat are ve being revarded for?"

"Gentlemen, as you are all undoubtedly aware, Kim Possible has been out of the world-saving business for quite some time."

"Yes, we are quite aware of that," Señor Senior Senior responded. "I thought that our reward was to be cash."

"Are you saying it wasn't?" Dr. Director challenged. "Global Justice was the one who saved your financial empire from bankruptcy. All I'm asking in return is that none of you use this technology to completely take over the world."

"And vy not?" Dementor protested. "Vy should ve even be accepting your offer in ze first place?"

"Because I know that all you gentlemen are attracted to power like moths to a flame," Dr. Director stated plainly. "It's not in your nature to pass something like this up."

'_Besides,_' she thought'_I have you wrapped around my little finger. You'll be good little puppets and take the bait. And then, the governments of the world will be begging for my help._'

"This is a good point," Junior admitted, drumming his fingers along his chin. "But why are you just giving them away?"

"Really, you should be used to this sort of thing by now," Dr. Director replied. "Global Justice has been supplying you for years." It suddenly occurred to Dr. Director that these men had a very difficult time separating reality from fantasy. Were they forcing themselves _not _to remember how they had been on her payroll for all these years? Most fascinating.

"I believe what everybody is trying to get at is, 'What's your angle?' Why do you need us?" Monkey Fist's sudden intrusion on Dr. Director's thoughts couldn't have come at a better time. She was about to say that she didn't need them. But if all they wanted was honesty…

"I'm sure you all remember what happened with Kim Possible." Everyone in the room nodded and muttered under their breath.

"Yes," Senior replied. "I believe we were to be part of some sort of training program for Ms. Possible. Most unfortunate that it failed."

"On the contrary, gentlemen," Dr. Director spoke with a voice full of pride. "Your purpose was to create a safe environment in which Kimberly could practice fighting crime. You fulfilled your duties wonderfully. Now I must call on you again."

"Fa' wha', lassie? Ah don' suppose _you_ wanna take ova' the world nau'?"

"Actually, that's exactly it, Mr. Killigan." The rogue golfer's eyes went wide in surprise. Dr. Director smiled inwardly. Fools. "Crime has grown far too rampant and the world governments aren't doing nearly enough to stop it. If Global Justice were to be in charge, however, we could afford to be much tougher."

"You're forgetting, Doctor, that _we_ are criminals," Monkey Fist reminded her. "What's to say you won't just abandon us once we've served our purpose?"

'_That's exactly what I plan to do_,' Dr. Director thought to herself. '_Smart little monkey, aren't you? I suppose I'll have to spin the truth on this one._'

"You're only criminals by the existing laws. I see nothing wrong with your ends. It is just your means that warrant the attention of the law. If the law were to be changed, however, you would be free to pursue your… eccentricities however you wish. If I were in charge, _I _woulddecide what is and isn't criminal." There. That should do it.

It worked. The room burst into chatter. Will Du walked up beside Dr. Director. Together they surveyed the crowd. "Easy to fool, aren't they?" Du spoke, watching as the villains talked excitedly amongst themselves.

"Like bribing a baby with candy," Dr. Director replied.

Finally, after much discussion, the group of villains turned to face the one-eyed woman. Monkey Fist acted as the spokesman of the group. "Very well, Betty, we'll take them."

Dr. Director smiled. "Excellent," she hissed.

* * *

Shego had been staring at the hospital tray in front of her for half an hour. It was like a train wreck. You don't want to look, but you just can't take your eyes off of it. Cautiously, she poked it with a fork. It didn't move and try to attack her, so that was a good sign. You never could be too careful with all the stories you heard. Despite having been intimately acquainted with hospitals since an early age, Shego had never grown accustomed to what they called "food." It was almost as if they served the food to _keep_ people from getting better so that they could continue charging them with outlandish bills.

She pressed harder with the delicate plastic fork, trying to penetrate the meatloaf. She was met with a chunk of plastic that nearly hit her in the eye as the tines splintered off. Not like she wanted to eat the "food" anyway. Shego torched the meatloaf with a plasma blast.

"Careful now, don't use that too much or you'll pass out," Dr. Possible warned as she opened the door. Shego jumped in surprise, a little guilty for having earned such a comment from her doctor. Anne seemed nonchalant, however, so Shego breathed a sigh of relief and formed a retort.

"I'd pass out if I ate that cardboard too, so I prefer to go with the option that doesn't involve a mouthful of chipped teeth."

Dr. Possible looked mildly shocked. "Shego, are you saying hospital food is… bad?"

For the first time in her life, Shego found herself worrying that she may have offended someone. "Um, no!" she stammered. "It's just… you see I…" Dr. Possible nodded, letting Shego stumble over her words, almost afraid to stop the green woman from making a complete and utter fool of herself. At least, that's how it seemed to Shego, who found herself actually caring what the mother of her lover thought of her. Even worse, she felt she was blowing it. The hell with it. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." '_There, now you can hate me like everybody else._'

Instead of acting like her brothers would have and go off on a tirade about how ungrateful Shego was being, Dr. Possible simply laughed. "Don't worry, Shego. You and I are of the same opinion. They tell us to say it's good for you, but I usually tell patients that they make it bad on purpose so people will want to get out of here as soon as possible."

The warm, genial tone that Dr. Possible was adopting put Shego at ease. "I always though it was some big conspiracy to make patients sicker so they could stick 'em with more outrageous hospital bills."

"With the looks some of the cooks have been giving me, that may not be too far off." The two women shared a laugh. Shego found herself feeling good for a change. Almost enough to make her forget about… Kimmie!

"Speaking of conspiracy theories," Shego spoke up, her tone getting more serious. "Heard anything about Kimmie yet?"

Dr. Possible sighed and looked away. "Not yet," she admitted. "But at least we know she's alive. Wade called in last night."

"Remind me later to thank Geekmeister for putting me in here. Betty really did a number on me." She paused and her tone grew worried. "How is she?"

"Recovering," Dr. Possible stated. "At least Betty's decent enough to give her sufficient medical attention."

"She just doesn't want her prize getting damaged," Shego said. "She doesn't give a damn about Kimmie's emotional well-being. Trust me, she makes Drakken's mom look like…" She paused, unable to complete the analogy.

"Look like who?"

Shego blushed a deep green. "Well… you."

Dr. Possible had met Mrs. Lipsky once. The thought made her shudder. "That is bad."

Shego nodded. "You know, you're actually pretty cool. If I hadn't already met you, I'd have assumed you were Kimmie's sister."

Now it was Dr. Possible's turn to blush. "You're just saying that."

"Nope, it's true." Shego was smiling. "You're one hot mama." There was an awkward pause. Then both women burst out laughing.

"Kimmie's very lucky to have gotten a mom like you," Shego spoke after a moment, getting serious. "You did a great job raising her. I wish I could have had a mom like you."

Dr. Possible smiled warmly. "You haven't turned out half as bad as the media makes you out to be. You've done a decent job raising yourself."

Shego's heart bloomed at the compliment. "Thanks," she managed after several moments, unsure of how to respond to that. "I was worried you'd think I was a bad influence on your daughter."

Anne laughed. "If anything, you've been a good influence on her. I remember after Ron died, she seemed so different. Like some part of her died with him. But you… from what Wade's told me, you were able to bring that Kim back to life. Even before that, when you two were still enemies… I could tell that you were exposing her to the darker parts of life that she wouldn't have learned from hanging out with the crowd she did, but that she needed to know if she was to grow up. She was able to learn from your mistakes, Shego, and you've helped her get a more balanced perspective of the world."

"I have made a lot of mistakes, though," Shego pointed out.

"We all have," Dr. Possible reassured her. "What's important is what you learn from those mistakes. I've seen you make an effort to change yourself, Shego. You're not the same person I met on that train. You've made yourself into a person my daughter can love. Anyone willing to do that isn't a bad influence in my book. Not by a long shot."

Shego was surprised when she felt a tear make its way down her cheek. Wiping it away with a sniffle, she whispered, "Thank you."

Dr. Possible just smiled and put her hand on Shego's. She felt the green woman squeeze in response. They held that position for several minutes. Finally Shego broke the silence.

"I'm scared," she whispered. "What if she doesn't make it? What if it's all been for nothing? What do I do then? She's all I've got left, Doc. I don't know what I'm gonna do if she dies or Betty figures out a way to break her. I can't live without Kimmie." She paused and let out a chuckle. "God, I sound so pathetic right now."

"No you don't, Shego," Dr. Possible reassured her. "You just sound human. I don't know what I'd do without Kimmie either."

They sat in silence for the next half hour.

* * *

"Good morning, Kimberly. How did you sleep?" It wasn't the mock-concern or the fact that she _had_ been sleeping quite peacefully that upset Kim. It was the person who said it. Rather than get angry, however, she decided to be a smart-ass.

"I was dreaming about tacos."

Dr. Director decided to play along. "Did you eat the tacos?"

"Every last bite. I can't get enough of those things." Inside, Kim had to fight the urge to burst out laughing.

"Was there any lettuce on those tacos? Some special sauce, perhaps?"

"Trust me, they were dripping with hot sauce."

Dr. Director tried not to chuckle. "What color was the sauce? Red?"

"Ewww, no!"

"Then what color was the sauce?"

Kim paused for a second. "Green."

Dr. Director fought to keep a straight face. "I always thought green sauce went on enchiladas, not tacos."

"These were special tacos."

"How special?"

Kim smiled. "Very special. Just the way I like 'em."

"Like marshmallows on hot dogs?"

"I don't like hot dogs anymore."

"I see."

They paused for a moment. Neither spoke. Dr. Director knew exactly what Kim had just said, even though a passive onlooker would have just thought they were debating the finer points of Mexican cuisine. Eventually she couldn't hold it in anymore. The head of Global Justice burst out laughing. Kim quickly followed suit.

After a good five minutes of nonstop chortling, Dr. Director spoke up. "So, tacos, not hot dogs?"

"I choked on a hot dog once. Not a pleasant experience."

Dr. Director laughed again. "You always did have a sense of humor, Kimberly. I hope you're able to keep that optimistic attitude when you're my slave." Kim set her jaw and glared. The conversation had just turned serious.

"You couldn't do it after torturing me for five hours. What makes you think you'll crack me?"

"I went easy on you," Dr. Director snarled. "I could have made it a lot more painful."

"What stopped you?" Kim challenged.

Dr. Director let out a sigh and softened her expression. "Even I have limits, Kimberly. I could tell that you were ready to die before you'd submit. So I gave you your wish. But now that I spared your life, I truly own you."

"Haven't you heard? Slavery went out of style in the 1860s," Kim flippantly replied.

Dr. Director didn't seem to hear her. "Your every breath is a gift from me. You wouldn't be alive right now if I hadn't brought you back."

"I wouldn't have died in the first place if you hadn't been so obsessed with your precious little machine. I don't owe you anything. Why is it that every villain I meet wants to play God?"

"Because God won't use his powers in areas where he should," Dr. Director snapped. "If he wanted to, he could stop all the crime in the world just. Like. That." She snapped her fingers. "But he doesn't. Why?"

"Because he doesn't want to?" Kim suggested.

"Exactly," Dr. Director hissed. "He can, but he won't. I, on the other hand, can and will. And nobody can stop me. Not even you."

"You know what happens to people who try and play God?"

The question was rhetorical, but Dr. Director responded anyway. "What?"

Kim grinned. "They go to Hell," she spat.

Dr. Director huffed. The redhead always did have a razor sharp wit. Time to attack her on more personal grounds. "They say the same thing about people who eat…" She tried to think of a term that would hit Kim close to home yet still sound intelligent. "…tacos."

Kim's face turned red at that remark, but she was not blushing. No, she was angrier than Shego during her-time-of-the-month. The only sound that made it past her lips was a low growl.

Dr. Director smirked. Good. That threw her off her game. Time to go in for the kill. "I wonder where Shego is right now."

The anger disappeared from Kim's face and instead she appeared wounded. She hadn't thought about that. Suddenly the argument with Dr. Director was no longer on her mind and the shift in emotions proved to be too much for the redhead. As a result, she just sat there in shock. All she could do was stare. A tear slowly slid down her cheek.

"Don't worry, maybe you can join her there if you don't survive. I'm sure you'll be very happy together." She paused and lifted a finger to her chin. "No, wait, that's right. You're a good girl, aren't you?"

"Better than you," Kim snarled through clenched teeth. Her eyes had become fountains.

"We'll see about that," Dr. Director retorted as she turned and left, leaving her conquered prisoner to cry alone. After she exited, she stopped and smiled. This was easier than she thought.

* * *

_And so everything is in place for the final battle. That should be fun to write. What will Dr. Director do when she finds out that Wade has smuggled Shego out of her clutches? How will Kim react when she learns Shego is alive? Will Dr. Director die, or will Kim sentence her to rot in a prison cell for the rest of her days? Will Shego get her powers back in time to help Kim? And most importantly of all, will Kim and Shego be reunited, or will I be evil and wait until the sequel to get them back together? Find out in Chapter 16 of **The Silence**, coming… whenever I write it. Please read and review. No flames, please. _

**beeftony**


	16. This is How the World Ends

_Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all related characters are the property of the Disney Company. I own this work of fiction. I make no profit from this._

_This took a lot longer than expected. I started two new stories, making my current total of active stories four. I decided to do something a little different in this chapter. It takes place over the course of a month, at various times, all of which lead back to the present. All of the "present" scenes are written in the present tense to enhance the immediacy of the situation. This is the first time I have attempted to do something like this, so feel free to leave a review letting me know how you think I did. I'd like to extend a special thanks to the folks on Slash Haven for helping me to get this chapter up and running. I'd also like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. I would never have gotten this far if it weren't for your feedback. I'm nearing the end of my tale, and I'll take this time to announce that I am currently planning A SEQUEL! That's right; I'm extending their relationship to a second fic. There are plenty more challenges in store for our two favorite ladies, and it has something to do with Ron and his destiny as the master of the Mystical Monkey Power. That's all I'll reveal for now. I'll touch on it more in the epilogue. Without further adieu, here is the penultimate (second-to-last) chapter of __**The Silence**_

**Chapter 16**  
This is How the World Ends

**Present**

Agent Harrison wrings his hands nervously. His breaths come in pants, filtering through his clenched teeth and exhaled in the same manner. The young commando's eyes dart hurriedly, on the lookout for something, anything, that might pose a threat. He isn't normally so on edge like this. But then, he has plenty of reason to be afraid.

They had taken her. Taken her! She was there one moment, and the next she had vanished from the public eye. It is classified information, he knows, but as the guard assigned to watch Kim Possible, he is privileged with information unknown even to the President of the United States. Or is it a curse?

Kim Possible was more than a poster-child for GJ to Agent Harrison. She was his idol. She never let herself get taken advantage of, and she always saved the world with a smile. Being the patriotic young man that he was, Harrison had decided to join GJ so that he, too could save the world. He couldn't have been more than 18 at the time. Now, at age 24, he can't believe how much the world has changed in six years.

Immediately after he graduated from training, Agent Harrison was tasked with helping to quell a revolution in Latin America, they type of duty usually reserved for the CIA and other such covert—yet publicly known—agencies. He had gone there full of hope, only to be confronted with the brutal reality of battle. Not full-scale war by any means, but the experience changed him. It was then he realized that Kim Possible was the luckiest world-saver on the planet. She got all the easy jobs. She was more of a distraction than anything, someone to get the enemy's attention while agents like him did all the dirty work. His perception of her changed and he began to think of her as a high maintenance bitch who didn't like to get her nails dirty.

Which is why he had requested this post. He thought it would be good for Dr. Director to make the little brat grow up a little. She needed to learn about the darker side of life as he had. But even he thinks that the torture was too much.

Being tortured is one thing. Watching someone get tortured is something completely different. In his training, Agent Harrison has been taught how to hold out against a captor who wants to glean information from you. You have to let the pain pass through you, but not submit. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to learn. What disturbed him the most is that while he watched the woman he had once idolized, then hated, and now pitied being tortured, he could still hear his instructor's voice in his head. Then it occurred to him that he really was hearing that voice. After all, Dr. Director herself led the torture-resistance training.

The voice had told him to fetch a glass of water. Good. Kim needed it, and he was wondering if Betty would ever give her mercy. But as he watched the redhead spit out the liquid and refuse to accept Dr. Director's "gift," he suddenly remembered why he had idolized her all those years ago. It cut him like a knife. Here he had wanted her to suffer for "betraying" him, when she had done nothing to deserve that fate. He had seen her as perfect and expected things to go just as easily for him. But now he realized that she was only human, and that he wouldn't wish this on his worst enemy, which Kim Possible never was.

No, his true enemy is the woman who destroyed everything Kim held dear—Dr. Elizabeth Director. The woman who had overseen his training class, and who had handpicked him for this assignment. He had admired Dr. Director the same way he had idolized Kim, but now he realized that the woman he had once worshipped was truly insane. She knew he held a certain degree of animosity towards Kim, and she played him like a fiddle. Now he feels true empathy for the redhead. When Dr. Director pushed Kim so far that the younger woman's heart stopped, Harrison threw up from the sight and smell of the blood that sprayed around the room. He couldn't handle the intensity, and simply watching this was killing him.

As Agent Harrison watched Dr. Director destroy everything he had aspired to be, he felt a strong urge to end this madness himself. But he couldn't. Not by himself. If Kim Possible, the girl who could do anything, couldn't withstand the torture, what hope was there for him? He sold his soul to the devil long ago, and now he must pay the price. As he watched Kim's lifeless body hang from the manacles, he thought to himself, '_Good. At least now you won't be around for the apocalypse. Have fun in heaven._'

Then a miracle happened. She was alive! Barely, though, and her bloodcurdling scream made him cover his ears. Still, she was alive! Then it occurred to him who brought Kim back, and the joy faded. The torment was far from over, for either of them.

He wished he could say something; _do _something, but his body refused to move. He had orders to follow, and he knew that he would never win. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. Kim was forced to battle her inner demons, and he was forced to watch. When it was finally over, he didn't know who had suffered more: the woman whom he had idolized—or him.

The answer to that question was obvious. _Of course_ she had suffered more! She was hooked up to a torture device for crying out loud! But Agent Harrison came a close second. Even though she probably didn't even know it, Kim Possible had just turned his life around. He personally volunteered to take Kim back to her cell.

Before he brought her back, however, she needed to be bathed. He took great care in that task, using the brush instead of his hands wherever possible, cleaning her gently as though she was his daughter, even though they were exactly the same age. He didn't look at her sexually anyway; she was a lesbian. Everybody knew that by now. Not that she was coherent enough to protest anyway. When he finished washing her, he helped to dress her in a set of fresh clothes, then carried her back to her room where he gently laid her down in her bed and carefully inserted the IV needle so that she could recover. Before he left, he gently brushed the hair out of her eyes, taking one last look at her angelic face.

That face had inspired him to join GJ. Not the actual features—though she was attractive—but rather the life and vivacity contained in those emerald eyes that danced with excitement whenever she was on a mission. He had seen these eyes once, up close and personal, before Dr. Director's nefarious scheme hid them behind an emotionless mask. There was so much inspiration to be found in those eyes. It was as if she could peer straight into a person's soul. After saying a silent prayer asking that she be allowed to escape somehow, Agent Harrison left the cell.

Agent Harrison sighs as the memory disappears and he focuses on the task at hand: investigating a strange noise that he heard just outside the door that leads to the cell. Tensing up nervously, he lifts a panel to reveal a piece of Plexiglas that allows him to see on the other side of the door. At first he expects to see Dr. Director or something, but that would have made no sense since she would have announced her visit. Then he looks for an intruder. After all, anybody besides Dr. Director, the other guard and himself is not allowed in here. But he sees nobody. Nothing but an empty hall. Breathing a sigh of relief, he closes the panel and turns his attention back to the cell he is guarding.

There it is again! He hears a metallic, "Clank!" and looks through the panel once again. "What the hell?" he mutters to himself. Weird. Maybe if he opened the door…

No. Dr. Director has specifically ordered him not to open the door for anybody except her. Still, he isn't too fond of the one-eyed woman nowadays. Should he open the door? That would be violating a direct order. But it would only be for a second. Besides, it's not like he would be opening the door to let anybody in. And some part of him needs to know. Eventually his curiosity gets the better of him, and he enters the five-digit code to open the door.

The metal door hisses open, and Agent Harrison sticks his head out into the empty hall. Still nothing. What was that noise he heard then? Before he can react, a figure drops down in front of him and knocks him off balance. The last thing he sees is a green glowing hand headed straight for his face.

* * *

**One Month Earlier**

"Come on, Shego, you can do it! Just think of Kimmie!"

"I-I can't! I can do a lot of things, but this… I just can't!"

"Shego, you're never going to get your strength back if you don't do this! Now do it! Do it for Kimmie!"

"Rrgh, fine! You drive a hard bargain, Doc."

"I do my best."

With a snort and an indignant glare, the green woman picked up the stale hospital food with her fork and forced it into her mouth, muttering to herself under her breath. After chewing for what seemed like an eternity, she suppressed her gag reflex long enough to allow the food to slip down her throat. She wiped her tongue on her pale green hospital gown, trying to get rid of the taste. Shego washed it all down with a tall glass of water, which thankfully wasn't tap. It was the only redeeming part of a hospital meal.

"See what I mean, Shego? It's not that bad."

"I thought you said you agreed with me that it tasted bad." Shego was a bit confused that the woman who had been so easy-going earlier had suddenly turned into some sort of coach, pushing her to do things she never thought she would. Just like… Kimmie. '_Now I see why she's so bossy. At least Kimmie's mom gives me encouragement afterwards. But I still feel like I'm being treated like a child._' She paused as she was hit with an epiphany. '_Doy! Maybe because I've been _acting_ like one? She's right; I do need to eat. But still, you'd think a place like this could spring for some decent food._'

Dr. Possible flashed her a warm smile. "I did, didn't I?" she said as she reached bent down to pick up two Tupperware containers from a bag that she had smuggled in.

Shego blinked in confusion. "Oh, so now you're gonna eat your good food in front of me? Kill me now." She didn't think it was fair that doctors got to bring food from home.

Dr. Possible just chuckled. "Don't worry, Shego, this one's for you." She handed the green woman a plastic container filled with chili, making certain the door was shut and the blinds were closed. Shego held the bowl close to her face and inhaled. The essence of spices, meat, beans and onions filled her nostrils, and her mouth started to water. It had been so long since she'd had a decent meal. Shego eyed the chili with lust. How good it must taste. She was about to consume it with only her mouth when Dr. Possible handed her a spoon. "Be civilized," she reminded her.

Shego snorted. "Hey, after a week of this crummy hospital food, you should be glad I don't knock you unconscious and eat _you_."

"But then who would take care of you?" Dr. Possible reminded her, smiling warmly.

"Please, Doc, the only thing keeping me in here is the fact that I'm too famished to move. I've already got most of my powers back."

"And you had to be moved to this room after you nearly burned down the old one when you tried to use them," Dr. Possible retorted. "You may be fully charged, but your control center took so much damage that you've lost fine control. You have to relearn everything."

"At least I've got it to the point where it doesn't go off accidentally," Shego commented after swallowing a mouthful of chili. "That whole thing with my old room was because of a nightmare."

Dr. Possible sighed. "Yes, I remember that. Are you ready to tell me what it's about? As a neurosurgeon I'm also required to know a little bit about psychology, not to mention the fact that I've raised three kids. Let me help you, Shego."

Shego narrowed her eyes and ate her chili in silence, avoiding eye contact with Dr. Possible. She wasn't ready to tell anybody what the dream was about. Finally she sighed. "As great as you've been, Doc, I don't think anybody can help me with this one. I've gotta work through this sort of stuff on my own. That's how I've always done it."

"I don't believe that," Dr. Possible challenged. "Every time I see you, you're always with someone else. Drew, your brothers… from what Kimmie tells me you hardly get a moment to yourself. I don't think that's on accident, either."

"What are you trying to say?" Shego interrupted.

"You need people, Shego. I think you like taking care of other people more than yourself."

Shego snickered. "Yeah, like _I _want to help anybody else out? What did they ever do for me?"

"Nothing, but deep down that doesn't matter to you, does it?" Dr. Possible flung the words right back at her, causing Shego's hand, which was currently gripping a spoonful of hot chili, to hover in mid-air. "Why else would you stick with Drew for so long? Why did you agree to help your brothers out when they lost their powers? Why did you help Kimmie when she couldn't save herself?" The last sentence caused Shego to drop the spoon completely. Neither woman looked away from each others' eyes as the utensil hit the floor with a metallic "clink."

"I…" Shego began, unable to complete the sentence.

"You like to feel needed, Shego," Dr. Possible said in answer to her own questions. "You didn't become a criminal because your brothers were annoying, you did it because they didn't want your help. Drew would have been out of the villain game a long time ago if it wasn't for you, Shego, and you knew that. You liked it. It was the main reason you stayed with him. And when your brothers finally realized they needed your help, you were a little reluctant, but the experience was somewhat fulfilling for you, wasn't it?"

"I—" Shego opened her mouth to answer, but Dr. Possible cut her off.

"And when you saw what Betty had done to Kimmie, you decided to save her. And you liked the fact that she needed you, didn't you?"

"YES!" Shego erupted. "Yes, I loved the fact that for once she was willing to let me tell her what to do because I knew better than she did! Even though she fought me night and day she'd still agree with me eventually! She's never done that before, and I liked it!" She dipped her head and sighed. "I liked it so much I didn't see that making her dependent on me would lead her right into Betty's trap."

Dr. Possible reached over and took Shego's hand into her own, setting the chili on a tray. "It's not your fault, Shego," she reassured her. "Is that what the dream was about?"

The pale woman nodded her head. She spoke up in a cracked voice, holding back a flood of tears. "In the dream, it's dark. I can't see. I can hear everything, but there's no light. I look around for… something, but I can't find whatever it is I'm looking for. Then… I see a light poke through. There's fog on the ground, so I figure I must be in some sort of swamp since it's kind of wet, too. I look down and… It's not water. It's blood. Fresh blood. So fresh it's still boiling. That's what's causing the fog." She stopped.

Dr. Possible nodded in solemn understanding. "And what else do you see?"

Shego took in a deep sigh. "I look around and… I see bodies. I don't recognize most of them, but I know what dead people look like. The blood is still pouring out of them, so whoever killed 'em must be nearby. I keep on searching, stepping around the bodies, breathing through my mouth because it smells so horrible. I start recognizing faces. My brothers. Dr. Drakken. Stoppable. But I knew they were dead already. Then I think, 'Am I in hell?' I call out, but no one answers me. I still don't know what I'm looking for. Then… I find her."

"Find who?"

Shego closed her eyes and whispered, "Kimmie." A solitary tear made its way down her cheek, rolling from her eye into the corner of her mouth. A sniffle broke the silence and she found the courage to speak again. "She has her back turned to me. I can't see her face yet. But I know that red hair anywhere. I call out her name, but there's no answer. I walk closer to her and call her name again, a little louder this time. Still no answer. I'm getting a little frustrated. I race up to her, and I almost trip over one of the bodies. I look down at the face and…"

"And?"

"It's Kimmie. Which makes no sense, because she's standing right in front of me, isn't she? I look back and forth between them for a few seconds, then I get up and walk over to the one who has her back turned to me. I reach out slowly and put my hand on her shoulder, trying to get her attention. She turns around and…" She choked on a tear.

"And what, Shego?"

"She's wearing a goddamn eye patch!" Shego despaired. "Her hair suddenly gets shorter, and her eyes—eye, rather—it's just so… dead. I don't feel like I'm looking at a human being. I take my hand off of her and I stumble backwards, tripping over the other Kimmie. She looks down at me with that stiff face. She looks just like a machine, Doc! Anyway, she raises a gun at me, but I don't move. I can, but… I don't want to. It's like I want her to kill me. Put me out of my misery. If she's gone, then what reason do I have to live, right? I stare into the barrel of the gun, thinking to myself that this isn't Kimmie. Kimmie never used guns. Then I realize it really isn't Kimmie. She gave in to Betty, and she got turned into some sort of monster. All that's left of her is the corpse I'm sitting on. She cocks the hammer on the gun and I think, 'Good. Do it. Don't make me hate you anymore.' Then… I wake up."

Dr. Possible nodded silently as Shego gripped her hand tighter. "How often do you have this dream?"

"Every night for the past week," Shego answered, sliding her hand from Dr. Possible's grasp. She looked up at the older woman with tear-filled green eyes. "I'm afraid to go to sleep. It seems so real, like I'm experiencing it for the first time. I forget that it's just a dream. You ever had that? Where you think it's real until you wake up, and you don't really feel like you're doing the actions, just watching? That's what it feels like. I watch myself do it every night, but I can never take control. That should tip me off that it's a dream, but I can't wake up. I don't _know_ it's a dream until I wake up in a cold sweat. And then I can't get back to sleep. Is someone out there trying to tell me something?"

"I remember when my children used to have nightmares," Dr. Possible said in response. "Kimmie would wake up in the middle of the night and come to our bed, asking if she could sleep with us for the night. I remember how she wouldn't stop asking until she got her way. I'd slide over and James would do the same, and Kimmie would squeeze in between us. Then we'd both put our arms around her and comfort her until she fell asleep. That continued until she was 8, around the same time she got that little stuffed Pandaroo. She loved that little guy."

Shego blinked. What did that have to do with anything? It reminded her of how she would be talking to Hego about something and he would go off on a tangent because he either couldn't think of something to say, or he could but didn't want to. She could never figure out why he did that. Nor was she able to understand what she suddenly felt the urge to ask. "Could you stay with me tonight? Keep me company?" She looked Dr. Possible straight in the eyes, practically begging.

Anne took Shego's trembling hands into her own and nodded. "I'm off tonight, but I'll be here as long as you need me, Shego. I promise. I'll have to call James first and tell him I won't be coming home, but you can rest assured that I'll be here, watching over you." The words penetrated Shego's exterior and went straight to her heart, where they produced a feeling of warmth as the blood in her body was suddenly reenergized. She let out a grateful sigh.

"Thank you."

Dr. Possible smiled. "Anytime." She got up to leave. Shego was still holding on to her hand.

"Wait."

Anne sat back down. "Yes?"

"You promise you'll be here tonight?"

"I promise. But I have to take care of my other patients first. You rest for now."

Shego nodded and closed her eyes. "Okay."

Dr. Possible walked over to the door and put her hand on the light switch. "Sweet dreams, Shego," she whispered before clicking off the light.

Shego nestled into her pillow and was soon asleep. She didn't dream of blood or dead bodies or killer clones. She dreamed about lying on a hammock with Kim, whispering sweet nothings into her ear on a quiet afternoon. It was a good dream.

But deep down, she knew that it was just the calm before the storm. She would have another nightmare tonight; she knew it. Hopefully Dr. Possible's presence would be enough to stop her from completely losing her mind.

* * *

**Present**

Gloved hands take great care with the lock, as a tiny slip up means the difference between life and death. If an alarm were to go off, she is as good as dead. Sweat pools on her forehead, and with great care, an arm lifts up and wipes it off. The salty liquid beads on the latex, smearing across her pale skin as a forearm drags across the top of her face. With that distraction out of the way, she goes back to work.

Locks like this are tricky. It has so many fail-safes and hair triggers that a lesser thief would have already been caught. But those other thieves do not have the ability to create an electromagnetic field with stellar plasma that shorts out most of the wires, or at least delays them. She has five minutes to open the door or the alarm will go off and she will fail.

She considers blasting the door open, but that would doubtless set off a dozen alarms and send the entire base after her. That would mean failure, and, even worse, death. Not just for her either; for the person she is trying to save. She can't have that. The only way through that door is to pick the lock.

Casting aside her extraneous thoughts, she concentrates all her attention on the task in front of her. This is what she does best. No technology, no fancy lockpick, just good old-fashioned hacking. If she can manage to cut all the wires without tripping the alarms, the door should open, or at least be unprotected. Using her lit finger like a laser, she traces around the plastic console and removes it from the wall, careful not to sever any wires that don't need to be cut yet. From what the computer geek has told her, this part is just like disarming a bomb; every wire must be cut in sequence or everything will blow up.

It suddenly occurs to her that she really _is_ disarming a bomb. Nerdlinger has told her that if she attempts to burst in there without disabling the charge, a contained nuclear explosion will vaporize everything in the enormous chamber, whose walls are thick enough to keep it from destroying the rest of the base. When this was explained to her earlier, it put an end to her thoughts of dragging the rest of the bastards down with her if she fails. She recalls what she has gone over in the briefing about which wires she is supposed to cut. Staring at the panel in front of her, she sees three wires, interlaced in a spider-like pattern. This is going to be tricky. No plasma here. If she cuts one of the other wires accidentally, she will literally cease to exist.

'_Okay, so I cut the wires in the order: yellow, red, green. Huh. That's funny. Stoppable's hair was yellow. Kimmie's red. I'm green. Talk about signs being everywhere. Focus, Shego! Okay, I've got about 3 minutes left. Alright, now, where are those bolt cutters?_' Her hand inches slowly towards her leg pouch so as not to upset the motion detectors. Pulling out the item she needs, she slowly brings it up towards the wires. '_Okay, so I have to cut the yellow one first. Or was it red? Shit! Of all the times to forget! Don't second guess yourself, Shego. Go with your gut. My gut says yellow. Okay, here goes._'

The cutter edges closer to the yellow wire, the first. '_Okay, now am I allowed to touch the other wires? It'll be a hell of a lot trickier. I'm not about to test that. Am I sure it's yellow first? Should I call Nerdlinger?_' She decides against it, as there are most likely microphones in the area. She has to do this on her own. No problem; that's how she prefers it. '_Okay, think of Kimmie. She wouldn't want you to doubt yourself like this. Even if I die, at least I'll know I tried.'_

Drawing in a gasp of air, she restrains it in her lungs as the cutter approaches the yellow wire. She positions the blades so that they will not touch the other wires. She clamps her eyes shut and says a silent prayer before squeezing just hard enough to cut the wire. She waits for the world to disappear in a flash of light. Nothing. She breathes a sigh of relief.

'_Okay, that was easy. Now which one do I need to snip next? Oh, right, red! Doy! Okay, cut for mama.' _She relieves her death grip on the cutters to allow them to open just enough to fit around the wire. She finds the confidence to keep her eyes open, but she still holds her breath as she squeezes the grip. The wire snips harmlessly and the result is the same as before. No explosion.

'_Whoever's up there, I owe you one. I'm lucky Dr. D and Stoppable are up there to vouch for me, or I'd probably be in hell right now. Okay, one more to go._' She glances down at the watch she has brought with her. She has two minutes. Deciding against a dramatic last-second save, she simply reaches out as before and places the cutter on the wire. Taking a deep breath, she squeezes. And waits. Nothing happens. She wipes her forehead and breathes a sigh of relief.

'_Let's not do that again. Now, how did he say to open the door? Is there another alarm I have to disable? What if it's another bomb? I would have come all this way for nothing. Well, maybe Kimmie and I will be together in the afterlife. Or maybe not. What if I go to hell and she goes to heaven? That'd be a waste. Focus, Shego! Now is not the time to be thinking about that! Okay, what did Nerdlinger say about the door? Something about it being resistant to anything except my plasma. Well, that's good news. But what if there's a failsafe? He never said anything about it. But what if he didn't know? That's silly. The guy knows everything that's going on around here. Then again, he didn't know Kimmie was being tortured until I told him. So what if he's wrong? I can't turn back now. Am I just gonna stand here all day? I've only got a minute left. Aw, fuck it._'

Igniting her hands, she traces a human-size hole in the solid titanium door. She laughs silently to herself at how stupid whoever designed this door is. Titanium is supposed to be one of the most heat-resistant metals in existence, but they had failed to count on plasma. They should have made a ray shield. She remembers what happened the time Stoppable got all of Dr. Drakken's evil. It is the first time she ever remembers being scared, apart from her rather brutal childhood. She has gotten over that, but to have such an innocent soul as Ron Stoppable threaten her with death to keep her in line… she hopes she never has to see his dark side again. It was just creepy.

She is brought back to the present by the smoldering hunk of metal that collapses inwards, falling on the immaculate white floor. Taking special care to avoid the molten metal, she closes her eyes makes her way into the room. She takes a deep breath and opens her eyes. Then she sees her.

The girl is lying on her bed, hooked up to an IV and heart monitor. She looks to be asleep. Padded soles make no sound as they tiptoe along the floor. The girl does not notice this. A long black glove is removed, and a pale hand strokes her cheek. She twitches, but she still appears to be unaware of the other woman's presence. The hand is removed, and a pair of dark lips press against hers for but a brief moment and an unconscious smile forms on the girl's face. Her body stirs ever so slightly, and a gasp is made as the older woman steps back, almost afraid to wake her.

The older woman stands there for untold minutes, watching the younger woman's chest rise and fall in a slow, constant rhythm. In, out. In, out. It mesmerizes the older woman, who can't seem to find it in her to wake this sleeping angel. What a treasure she has found. And what a crime it is to keep such a radiant spirit locked up in a cage. She knows. The same has happened to her, but not like this.

Peeling back the sheets, the intruder observes that bruises are everywhere on the younger woman's body. Teeth grind together and a growl escapes her lips. '_That bitch_.' She looks back to the scarred visage of her lover and finds herself unable to stay angry. '_God, she looks so beautiful when she's asleep. I could watch her all day. Goddamn, why'd I have to be stupid enough to drag you into this? You don't deserve any of this. God, Kimmie, what'd they do to you?' _A tear rolls down her cheek and her lungs bring forth a heavy sigh. Her head hangs in despair and she kneels down next to the younger woman, assuming the praying position as she rests her forehead against her thumbs.

'_What have I done? I never meant for you to get hurt, Kimmie. Please God, don't let her be paralyzed. Don't let there be any permanent damage. Give me something to salvage from this junk heap. All I ask is that you give me something to hold onto. Don't let any more harm come to her. I'm begging you. Please… for her sake, not mine. I don't care what happens to me. But don't let her die. Please let her be alright.'_

Her prayers are answered when she hears a stir come from the woman beside her. Emerald eyes crack open, and a pair of chapped lips split apart. Looking up, she finds herself staring straight into the eyes of her lover. Neither says anything for the moment. The redhead does not appear to think this is real. That, or she has just lost the strength to speak, which wouldn't be a surprise given what the older woman saw in her vision. Finally, the redhead breaks the silence. Her voice is hoarse; barely a whisper. But it is music to the older woman's ears. The lips crack open and speak a name.

"Shego?"

* * *

**Three Weeks Ago**

She couldn't breathe. Water consumed her head, shards of ice biting at her as her face was thrust into the trough. A cruel hand twisted her hair into a knot, threatening to scalp her as she was pulled from the ice cold water. Desperate for air, she gasped, only to find her face in the icy water once more. The funny thing was that she actually preferred the moments when she was submerged. At least when she was underwater, everything was silent. Every time she surfaced, she would hear that voice. That callous, unfeeling voice that could change to a lion's roar in an instant if she provoked it enough. She hated that voice.

It was a voice that had tormented her for the past week, though it felt like much longer. Listening to that voice was worse torture than anything else that had been tried on her. No matter how hard she tried, the voice could not be tuned out. It wasn't the sound of the voice; it was what the voice said. The voice belittled her, taunted her, mocked her, ridiculed her, humiliated her and filled her with rage. The voice targeted her heart, her soul, everything she held dear. The voice confused her, frustrated her, twisted her words and tried to crush her spirit. She had never truly hated anyone before. But that changed the day she heard that voice.

This hatred was extended to the one who possessed this inhuman voice, the source of her torment. The woman had hid the voice well until she was ready to unleash it. What a bitch. And now that voice would greet her again as she was pulled once more from the ice water. She wished that she could stay under until she passed out or died. Anything to escape that voice.

"How does that feel, Kimberly? Refreshing?" Goddamn it. So much for escaping the voice. Her lips were so numb she couldn't even form a retort. She couldn't even feel the cuts on her face from the sharp ice that cut like glass. But she knew from the blood dripping down into her eyes that it was bad. A cold shudder was the only response she was able to give.

"Pathetic." Damn that voice! Always thinking it was right. She didn't even notice her numbness, the chill of the ice cold water dripping down on her naked skin, the burn of the ropes that held her arms and legs together; the voice was everywhere. It was everything. The voice was in her head, all around her. It rattled around her consciousness, interrupting her thoughts and rendering her incapable of focusing on anything else. All she heard was the voice. She would do anything to make that voice stop. But she would not submit. She could do almost anything, but that did not include giving up. Fortunately, she didn't have to.

"I think we're done here." The voice's tone was bored. Her captor had apparently lost interest. "Take her back to her cell and bandage up those wounds. Don't want to damage that pretty face." The voice was mocking her now. A hand caressed her face, and she flinched at the unwelcome contact. She heard a laugh. If there was one thing she hated more than the voice it was that laugh. For all the evil laughs she had encountered, this was easily the most odious. Damn that laugh.

As she was led back to her cell, the girl took comfort in the fact that she wouldn't have to listen to that voice anymore today. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out. She prayed that it would be long enough.

* * *

**Present**

"Shego?" She hears herself speak the name of her lover. It feels so surreal. She watches as her hand reaches out to touch the green phantom, certain that she is dreaming. Her fingers meet resistance as they press upon the older woman's cheek. She caresses that soft face, intent on enjoying this fantasy while it lasts. There's no way this can be real. But still, it can't hurt to ask. "Are you… are you real?" Her voice is a faint whisper, hoarse and drained. She's barely holding on.

The woman in green smiles. "Yeah, Pumpkin, I'm real." This is enough for the redhead, who leaps from her bed into her lover's arms with a renewed sense of energy.

"Shego!" she cries, smothering her rescuer with kisses. Tears of joy stream down her cheeks, liberated from their prison. Her body trembles with excitement as she clings to her lover like a parasite, never wanting to let go. "I missed you so much," she blubbers, burying her lips in the older woman's neck, making her way up to those soft black lips. God how she missed this. It feels so good.

Through it all, Shego holds her, shelters her, protects her. "I know, Pumpkin. I missed you too," she whispers, only to be cut off by another kiss. Kim presses her to the floor, caressing her, holding her, stroking her deeply.

"I wanna do it right here," she confesses, diving right back in. Shego separates after a moment.

"Geez, Pumpkin, can't you wait till we're out of here?"

Kim shakes her head. "It's been over a month, Sheeg. I need you." She begins to nibble at the older woman's ear. "Oh God, I need you." She says it hungrily, like an animal.

"I need you too, Pumpkin," Shego begins before she's cut off by a kiss. She breaks. "But can't this wait till later?"

"No," Kim insists, breathing heavily as she buries her face in that long black hair, losing herself in the fragrance. "I've waited too long already." She kisses Shego again. "Besides, I want at least one good memory of this place." With that, she guides the older woman's hands to her white cotton shirt, which is quickly torn off to reveal the soft flesh underneath. Upon seeing her scars, Shego stops.

"Oh my God, Kim, what did she do to you?" she asks, horrified.

"Later," Kim insists. "Right now we fuck."

"I can live with that," Shego replies, still sounding mildly concerned. But Kim doesn't detect this. Her desire makes her blind to everything. All that matters is the woman underneath her; the woman she loves. The woman she so desperately wants to make love to.

Standing up, Kim grabs Shego by the hands and leads her to the bed. She guides those hands down to her soft cotton pants. "Isn't this fun?" she whispers into her lover's ear. She doesn't care about the fact that this will end up getting them caught. She just wants one last fuck before she dies.

"You bet your ass it is," Shego growls as she slides the pants down Kim's legs, crouching and following them to the floor. Her face stops in front of Kim's sex, and she grabs a firm hold of the younger woman's buttocks, drawing the redhead closer to herself. She parts Kim's lower lips with her sharp cherry tongue, eliciting a groan from the younger woman. Kim grabs a handful of her lover's hair and pulls her deeper, telling her to lick faster. A shriek of ecstasy tears itself from Kim's mouth as an orgasm rushes through her body.

"Oh Sh-Shego!" she breathes, her emerald pupils disappearing into the back of her head as her eyelids flutter blissfully. She grabs the older woman by the hair and pulls her up, catching her mouth and wiping the remains of herself from Shego's lips. Her hands trace a line up the pale woman's sides, stopping at her perfectly formed breasts and giving a tight squeeze. Shego's breath stutters, and Kim undoes the clasp that holds the green and black suit together.

Peeling the suit from her lover's body, Kim falls back supine on the bed, compelling Shego to follow. Her hands explore the green woman's back, leaving barely noticeable impressions as they near their goal. Finding it, the fingers reach inside, prying her open. Shego's sudden gasp tells her that it is working. She silences the pale woman with her mouth, covering Shego's lips with her own.

"I love you," she breathes, burying her face in Shego's neck, nibbling softly. Kim feels the green woman's hand trace down to her hips, moving closer to where she wants her to be.

"Ready?" Shego pants, seeking approval.

Kim quivers. "God yes."

With that, Shego fills Kim with her long, pale fingers, bringing untold joy to the redhead. The younger woman arches her spine, pushing her lover deeper. "Oh yes, oh Shego, oh, I-I love you! I love you!" She screams it, not caring who hears. A feeling like none she has experienced before shoots through her body, filling her with warmth. Tears of joy flow from her eyes. She keeps telling Shego how much she loves her, how she never wants it to stop. Oh God, she wishes this feeling could last forever. No pain, no suffering, no psychopathic women with eye patches, just her and Shego. The orgasms become her entire world. Her existence narrows down to a basic, animal feeling. She wishes it would never end.

And yet it does. Just as suddenly it came, the feeling vanishes into nothingness. Where she was once full, she is now empty. She reaches out for something to hold onto, drawing Shego into a death grip, never wanting to let go. Shego is her entire world. She won't lose her again. She can't lose her again. Tears pour down her cheeks as she resolves never to be alone again. She buries her face in the older woman's neck, soaking her hair with her tears. "I love you, Shego," she whispers. "I love you so much."

* * *

**One Month Ago**

"You ready?"

"If you are."

"You promise you won't leave?"

"I promise, Shego. I'll be here the whole night."

"Will you…?"

"Will I what, Shego?"

"I feel kind of silly for asking."

"Trust me, whatever it is, it's not silly. Ask me."

"Will you hold my hand?"

"Certainly."

"Okay."

She extended her hand and allowed her doctor to squeeze it firmly, reminding herself that she'd best keep her plasma powers reigned in while she was asleep. It had taken years for her to master, and she nearly burned down the hospital when she'd had to relearn it. It was a tenuous control at best; she could slip at any moment. She had to be careful.

But at the same time, she had to sleep. Besides, Dr. Possible could just let go, not to mention they were in a _hospital_. There was a burn center not too far from here. Still, Shego would prefer not to hurt Kim's mother if she could help it. Damn it, this was not helping her sleep! She needed to quiet her mind. Somehow, the security provided by Dr. Possible's presence was enough to allow her to relax somewhat. She closed her eyes and let the darkness claim her.

She is standing in a field, looking out over the horizon that terminates in a curve that would plummet her over the edge of the earth if she ever got that far. She starts to walk, not of her own volition, but rather she feels herself take several calm steps, rustling the tall stalks. She has no control, but she also has no fear. She observes the green meadow that lies beyond the cornfield and yearns to step out of the tall stalks that obscure everything and simply be free to roam in the infinite expanse.

But she cannot go there. Her feet do not follow her orders. She wants go play in the meadow! Can't they understand that? Six year old girls are supposed to play in the meadow! Wait, six year old girls? She looks down and notices that she's clothed in a pale green Sunday dress, the nicest one she owns. Why is she wearing it in a cornfield? She convinces herself that it does not matter.

Another girl, red-haired and fair skinned, is picking flowers in the meadow. Shego commands her feet to take her there. If the grass looked inviting before, she now has even more reason. A friend! Someone to share it all with! But she stands still. She cannot move. Corn stalks like prison bars cage her in, concealing her from the redhead who looks so happy prancing around the grass in the bright sun.

She opens her mouth, but finds that she cannot speak. She tries to call out to the girl beyond the cornfield, but it is futile. The girl cannot hear her. She cannot hear herself. She wills herself to push the stalks out of the way in the hopes that the redhead will see her and rescue her from her apparent immobility, but her arms are like lead. They will not move. Just like her feet, they refuse to listen to her. They won't even twitch.

Powerless. That's what she is. Freedom is right within her grasp and yet she can't reach out. Her body won't let her. The thick cornfield obscures her from the view of the beautiful redhead, who frolics freely, oblivious to the suffering of the one who wishes to join her. Her desire to go and play with the other girl supercedes the hesitance of her body and she breaks through the barrier that keeps her from her princess. Through sheer force of will, she manages to move her leg.

She did it! She took the first step! Now for the next. Her foot moves and displaces a small amount of dirt as it settles on the ground. With this new freedom, Shego takes off running towards the redhead, out of the dark cornfield. Her salvation is close at hand.

But what's this? The girl starts to run away. "Come back!" she manages to shout. It echoes across the empty landscape, but it does not reach the ears of the girl. Cursing herself, Shego begins to run. "Wait up! Wait for me!" It's like screaming into a cave. The words reverberate everywhere and come back at her full force, pushing her back, away from the girl. But she is more stubborn than that. She runs faster. But she's getting no closer. The redhead is fast, and she doesn't even seem to notice the little black-haired girl who has just built up the courage to escape her own self-doubt. Why won't she wait?

'_Because she doesn't know you're there_,' she reminds herself. With grim determination, she makes her strides longer and pumps her arms faster. But she's getting tired. Her legs are encased in lava and her chest is heaving. But she won't give up. Not yet. Not when the object of her salvation is still in her sights.

But the girl is getting farther away—a small dot of red among the infinite expanse of green. Shego looks back to the cornfield, where she can hide and take refuge; where she doesn't have to risk anything on such silly whims as chasing a girl she doesn't even know. But it is dark back there. And out here, there is light; out here she can be free. But she has nobody with which to share it.

The darkness beckons her, bringing forth twin tentacles that wrap around her ankles and begin to pull her back. On instinct, she ignites her hand, only to find that her powers are not yet strong enough to cut through the thick weed. She's only six! The coils wrap tighter, sweeping her off her feet and dragging her back to the safety of the cornfield. She claws at the ground, desperate for some sort of handhold. But as the clumps of grass gather in her hands, she realizes the futility of her situation.

But she won't give up! Not now! Not ever! She's not going down without a fight!

The darkness swallows her whole, ignoring her pleas for freedom, placing her back where no one can find her; no one can hurt her. She feels angry, but at the same time safe. How foolish that was, thinking she could go play with a girl that she doesn't even know. No, it's better if she just stays here, alone, with no one to bother her.

She will stay in her prison for eternity. No one will ever find her out here. Her bones will be buried under the corn stalks and ground by a harvester. A sad fate to resign oneself to, yes, but here she knows the score. This is her territory. Her world. Her existence. None dare venture inside.

Suddenly, she hears a rustling behind her. What now? She stands up and turns around slowly. There, in front of her, is the girl she was chasing earlier. Shego stands in shock for a moment.

"Hi, I'm Kim. What's your name?" The girl's voice is sweet as honey, music to Shego's ears. Kim holds a basket filled with flowers, flowers that Shego saw her pick earlier. She finds the courage to speak.

"Shego."

"Hi, Shego," Kim returns cheerily. "Do you want to play?"

Shego nods, a smile on her face. Kim extends her hand. "Let's go, then," the redhead says.

Shego takes Kim's hand in hers, and together they exit the cornfield into the sunny meadow and freedom. How wonderful this is! Just moments ago she was lost in her depression, buried deep down in a prison of her own device. A prison designed not to keep her in, but to keep others out. Despite this fact, this girl has dared to venture where none have gone before. Kim has saved Shego from the darkness, and Shego is eternally grateful. Paradise is hers.

But good things never last.

"Kimberly Anne Possible!"

Uh-oh. All three names. Her new friend will soon be taken away. She can't let that happen. "C'mon!" she shouts, tugging on Kim's hand and bringing her back into the cornfield.

Kim follows, dropping her flower basket. It lays there, forgotten, as Shego drags Kim off to safety. Kim doesn't seem to care. In fact, she actually runs ahead, as intent on escaping the source of the voice as Shego is, maybe even more.

"Kimberly! You dropped your basket!" A tall figure enters the cornfield, and the two girls run faster. Shego pauses to look back, expecting to see a red-haired figure with blue eyes. Instead, she sees a short-haired brunette with… one eye.

Oh shit.

"Run!" she whispers to the redhead, who takes off at full speed. Shego follows. Kim is in front, and Shego can't see beyond the billows of that adorable pink dress. Her breaths come in short pants, and the sharp leaves of the corn occasionally nick at her dress. It would be easier to run if she weren't in something so constricting. She looks back again. The cyclops is getting closer. Her pursuer's head sticks out over the cornrows, where she can no doubt see the trail left by Kim and Shego. But they're almost out of the cornfield. She turns back to face in front of her, only to find Kim has stopped. She stops as well.

There, in front of them, is their pursuer. She has closed the gap impossibly fast, and now stands in front of them with crossed arms and a stern expression. "Kimberly Anne Possible, where have you been?"

"P-picking flowers," the little redhead explains.

"Yes, well you dropped your flower basket," the cyclops counters, holding it up for all to see. "You were hanging out with the freak girl, weren't you?"

'_Freak girl? Lady, I'll… oh, wait, I'm six. Fuck.'_

"I-I wasn't," Kim insists. "I was just saying hi."

"Don't even speak to her," the figure reprimands. "You don't know where she's been."

"B-but—" Kim protests, her lower lip quivering.

"No buts, young lady," the brunette interrupts. "Inside, now." She reaches down and grabs Kim faster than the redhead can scurry away.

"No!" the redhead shrieks. "I won't go back there! Don't make me go back there! Shego, help me!"

"Kim!" Her new friend is in danger. She leaps onto the cyclops' leg and begins to kick, punch and bite with all her strength, but the one-eyed woman kicks her off with ease, and she feels her dress become entangled in the sharp leaves of the cornstalks. Now she really can't move. "Kim!" she cries desperately.

"Shego!" Kim batters furiously at the woman, beseeching her captor to release her. But even Shego knows it's a futile effort. "Shego! Save me!"

"Kim!" Shego screams, tears welling up in her eyes. Her new friend is being carried away and there's nothing she can do. She kicks, screams, and struggles against her entanglement, but she only grows more trapped. Kim is rapidly disappearing, and Shego is failing. "Kim!"

"Shego!" the redhead screams one last time before disappearing in the distance, out of earshot.

Damn it! She's failed! Kim is gone! All that for nothing! Fuck Betty Director!

She needs to go after her! Tearing at her dress, she rips off the frills and drops to the ground. She starts to run in Kim's direction. But something's happening. Is she getting shorter?

No! She's sinking! The earth swallows her legs, trapping her in this one spot, carrying her down to a deep, dark place, darker than the cornfield. It's a place she's visited once before. A place she never wants to visit again.

"Let go of me!" she screams, but it falls on deaf ears. The earth cannot hear her. It doesn't care that the girl she loves has just been taken away from her. Every step she tries to take, something restrains her. She's now up to her chest in mud. She struggles harder, acting purely on instinct. She goes into a panic, sinking deeper. Her neck disappears beneath the all-consuming quicksand. She lets out a shrill scream before her face is swallowed.

Darkness. Void. She sees nothing. Hears nothing. Nothing exists. She's slogging through liquid of some sort, or at least she thinks so. At any rate, she feels like she's wading through molasses. She can't see in front of her. But she doesn't feel like a six year old girl anymore.

Experimentally, she lights her hands. Everything around her is suddenly illuminated. She looks down. The water is gone, replaced with solid earth. She can move freely now. "Hello?" she calls out, not expecting an answer save for the echoes that resound in the infinite chamber.

"Shego." The voice is all around her, yet it comes from nowhere. It is deafening, yet it is a whisper. The voice consumes her, speaking to every fiber of her being and vibrating every cell in her body. It reverberates around her, echoing repeatedly. Then, silence.

"Who said that?" she screams into the abyss.

"Wake up, Shego."

"Doy! What do you think I'm _trying_ to do? I _can't _wake up!"

"Shego, wake up." The voice grows more insistent, resonating around her. It sounds so familiar.

"I don't want to!" she screams. "I don't wanna have to face reality! I'd rather be stuck down here than have to face what's up there!"

"Shego, get up." The voice is now even more firm, stripping away every layer of defense Shego has. She looks at her hand and sees it start to waver, as though behind a curtain of steam.

"What the…."

Suddenly it shatters, flying everywhere like green confetti. But she feels no pain. "No," she protests. "No, I wanna stay asleep! I don't wanna wake up!" Her pleas go ignored as she begins to dematerialize, starting with her limbs and moving rapidly towards the center. She sees herself being consumed alive, bits and pieces carried off by some undetected wind, disappearing into the blackness.

A white light appears above her, and Shego sees a figure silhouetted against the blinding ray. "Shego, it's time to get up."

Finished with her arms and legs, the blackness begins to consume the rest of her body, slowly eating away at her torso until only her neck remains. Before she disappears, she manages to let loose one last scream.

And woke up in her bed, shivering. The details of the dream were already slipping through her newly awake neurons like sand through fingers. A cold sweat covered her panic-stricken form. Breaths came in pants, and her eyes betrayed a feeling of pure terror.

"Shego, calm down!" The green woman turned to face the source of the voice, whom she recognized as Dr. Possible. Remembering where she was, she brought herself together and began to breathe normally.

"Was it the same nightmare?" Dr. Possible asked after a moment.

Shego shook her head.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Shego shook her head again.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Shego nodded.

"Alright."

And so Dr. Possible sat with Shego for the rest of the night, comforting the shell-shocked woman. Shego refused to talk about her dream, but Anne knew that the green woman would open up with time.

But time was the one thing they didn't have.

* * *

**Two Weeks Ago**

"Agent Load, report to my office, please."

The request wasn't all that unusual. Dr. Director often called agents to her office for little more than a status report on their projects. For Wade, however, this posed a problem. His project was missing. And he had let her escape. Hell, he had forced her to leave. He needed to hide it well. Taking a deep breath, Wade replied, "On my way, sir."

Wade suddenly felt as though he was being called to the Principal's office. You never knew whether you were in trouble or not. And they never told you what it was about until it was too late to make a run for it. Wade was lucky to have skipped most of school due to his genius, but from what he'd heard, this is what he was sure all those kids felt like when they were dragged out of class to go see the most intimidating person in the school. But this was even worse. After all, despite the occasional rumors that floated around amongst mischievous schoolchildren, the Principal never _actually_ tortured anybody. But he had seen Dr. Director nearly break Kim with his own two eyes. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

The young supergenius' heart thudded in his chest as he neared Dr. Director's office. What was she going to do? Kill him? He wouldn't be surprised. He was technically a traitor. Well, at the very least a mole. He was still loyal to everything else Global Justice stood for, or used to stand for. Would she torture him as well? That was a scary thought. He'd seen what she could do. Wade's breaths became increasingly panicked, and a pool of sweat gathered at the base of his spine. After what seemed like an eternity, he arrived at the door. His hand reached out, and he found himself unable to perform the simple task of pressing a series of buttons on a keypad. It wasn't Dr. Director that scared him. It was the fact that he didn't know exactly how much she knew.

Did she know that he had sprung Shego? Did she know that he had snuck into Kim's cell late at night just to see if she was alive? Or was she just calling him in for a status report, unaware of the fact that he was undermining her entire operation? He decided to speak only when spoken to, answering yes or no until he found out exactly what he was being accused of. No use admitting to a crime she didn't know about yet, especially one that would get him marked a traitor and likely killed. Taking a deep breath, he entered the code for the door and stepped in cautiously.

"You wanted to see me?" It was a question rather than a statement, and a very nervous one at that. Dr. Director had the advantage from the start.

"Sit down, please," she ordered. Wade promptly complied, a drum sounding in his chest, breaths picking up speed and sweat bursting from his forehead. They sat in silence for untold minutes, each for different reasons. Wade was afraid to speak, and he suspected that Dr. Director was letting him stew. She really was evil. Finally, she broke the silence. "Status report, please."

Shit! What was he going to do? Tell her the truth? No, that would get him killed. Lie and tell her everything was going fine? No, she would see right through that. Wade was pretty sure Betty could smell fear. She would ask for details, and he'd have to wrack his brains out trying to think of a plausible explanation as to why he hadn't given her a report in two weeks. He decided to buy himself a little time. "Status report on what?" he asked meekly.

Dr. Director continued to stare at him impassively. No answer came from her lips. Was she staring in disbelief? Had she seen right through his attempt to buy himself time? Oh God, she was still letting him stew in his own guilt, wasn't she? Fuck! What now? The silence had gone on too long, but Wade found himself unable to speak.

"Status report on the prisoner you were supposed to be keeping watch on," she replied. "She's been down there a little over two weeks. Has she recovered?"

How should he answer that? Did she want details? She didn't ask for them. But what if it was implied? He certainly didn't have them, and he couldn't just BS his way through it since she understood the science of the whole thing even better than he did. He reminded himself that the best lies are simple ones. "Yes," he responded after a moment. Dr. Director nodded, seeming to accept his answer. Wade breathed an inward sigh of relief. Bullet dodged.

"That's good," she commented. "Have her powers returned?"

Probably. That wasn't a good enough answer. He needed to give a definite answer. He adopted the same strategy as before. "Yes."

"I see," the one-eyed woman remarked.

Silence again. It was the worst kind of torture. Wade was a rather strong man. He could handle pain. But he couldn't handle guilt. He thought back to those times he had tried to withhold information from Kim. By simply glaring into the Kimmunicator screen and elongating the first vowel of his name, she was able to sweat anything out of him. But this was even worse.

"You may go now," the one-eyed woman spoke after what seemed like an eternity. She never looked up from her paperwork.

Wade smiled nervously and got up to leave, heart still pounding in his chest. Apparently she had bought it. He exited through the door and breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the supergenius left, Dr. Director turned to face the view screen that descended from the ceiling. She pressed a button on the remote she was carrying. A security tape began to play.

"Kim, I love you." The voice was quiet, having been barely detected by the audio. But it betrayed everything. She hit the fast forward button.

"I was jealous of you and Shego. I thought, 'Hell, if she can hook up with her arch-nemesis, there might be hope for me after all.'" Dr. Director chuckled. Traitors rebelled for the silliest of reasons. She hit fast forward again.

"But, if it's any consolation, I've got Shego someplace safe. With someone who loves you and will understand your new relationship." Bingo. She paused the recording.

Betty pressed a button on her desk. The face of Will Du popped up on another screen. "Yes, sir?"

"Special Agent Load has outlived his purpose and now poses a threat to our operation," Dr. Director said in the most emotionless of tones. "Kill him."

"Yes sir." The screen went blank, and Betty scrolled back through the tape.

"Kim, I love you."

'_I never would have guessed,_' Dr. Director thought to herself. '_Too bad you won't live to see her reaction to it. That would have been fun._'

Wade's heart finally calmed down when he got back to his lab. He needed to see Kim again. Changing out of his normal uniform into his custom made supersuit, he prepared to go invisible and sneak into her cell. It was a risk, he knew, but he had to get her out of here soon before Dr. Director came too close to figuring out what had happened. His finger hovered over the button that would make him disappear.

He heard something behind him. Something that sounded like footsteps. He turned around slowly, his finger still on the button on his waist.

The figure before him was a tall, thin Asian man with jet black hair styled in a bowl cut. Over his eyes he wore a set of goggles with red lenses. The man was clothed in a black and red supersuit much like Wade's own, except it was pure black with glowing red streaks arranged in a tribal pattern. In his right hand the man held a scythe.

"Agent Du," Wade greeted.

"Agent Load," Will deadpanned.

"I don't suppose you're gonna let me leave," the supergenius surmised. Will simply stood motionless. "Can't catch what you can't see," Wade smirked, triggering his active camouflage. The agent still did not move. Wade charged towards will like a bull, drawing his fist back in an attempt to crush the much smaller man.

Will may not have possessed Wade's giant stature, but he was far faster. Just as Wade was preparing to strike, Will spun out of the way with lightning speed, almost as though he saw Wade coming. The supergenius stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the agent.

"I'm guessing those are infared goggles," he said, to which Will nodded. Shutting off his active camouflage, Wade dropped into a fighting stance again. It was a cross between heavyweight boxer and professional wrestler. His style favored lots of power moves, attacks that could knock out his opponent in but a few shots. "Bring it on," he challenged before once again charging blindly at the man with the scythe.

Moving with inhuman speed, Will stepped to the side, raising his right leg to catch Wade right across the chest. The supergenius staggered backwards, clearly not expecting such a move. The lanky agent followed this up by raising the same leg into the air and spinning clockwise, planting his heel on the back of Wade's neck and bringing the supergenius crashing to the floor. Twirling his scythe above his head, he brought the butt down towards Wade, who barely rolled out of the way in time.

Wade grunted and tightened his fists, shifting his weight to his hips and standing firm. He let out a low growl through gritted teeth.

Will seemed to ignore him, twirling the scythe in a display that was designed to intimidate as well as distract. Wade snorted, then gasped when Will's boot suddenly found its way into his midsection, knocking him back several feet. He let out a frustrated grunt.

'_He's too fast. I don't have the element of surprise because he can see me regardless. Every time I try to attack, he counters. Every time I wait for him to attack he gets through. I've gotta come up with a good strategy or I'm as good as dead._'

Fortunately, Wade had grown up playing so many video games that adjusting his strategy mid-battle was second nature to him by now. '_If he wants to go for speed, then I'll just try to overwhelm him with power,_' he decided, twisting a dial on his wrist that caused his supersuit to glow a bright blue. Wade smirked.

Will did not even seem to react to the gesture, instead focusing on his primary directive. He fought emotionlessly, with a singular goal. He advanced again, spinning the scythe in the same manner as before. His intent was to deliver another strike to Wade's gut.

He never got the chance.

Reaching out with his left arm, Wade grabbed the scythe in his massive hand. He didn't even respond when Will's foot impacted his stomach. To the agent, it felt like kicking a brick wall. Wade's right fist was already cocked, and he drove it into the much smaller agent's midsection with devastating force. Will chose to let go of the scythe rather than separate his shoulder and flew across the room, slamming into the opposite wall.

Coughing up blood, the momentarily bested Agent Du looked up just in time to see his opponent break the scythe against his knee. "Lesson for today," Wade announced. "Never try the same trick twice. People aren't training robots."

"Let me guess," Will deadpanned. "Your suit enhances your durability and turns you into some sort of juggernaut."

"You guess correctly," Wade smirked. "I've had a lot of free time on my hands."

"Well it's about to get put to the test," Will returned, closing the distance between them with a massive leap, hands glowing green with stolen glow energy. Wade barely raised his arms in time to block. Not giving him any room to breathe, Will slashed again, this time at Wade's rock-hard midsection. The claws bounced off harmlessly, surprising even Wade. The supergenius used Will's shock to his advantage and planted a massive fist square in the smaller agent's gut. Will coughed up blood. But, to Wade's surprise, he smiled.

"Play time's over," he announced before flash-kicking Wade right in the jaw and performing a one-handed back handspring, landing on his feet. Wade staggered backwards, stunned. Will used this to his advantage and launched into a flurry of punches and kicks, most of which impacted harmlessly against the larger man's heavily armored suit. But a quick glance at his arm told Wade that his shields were rapidly deteriorating due to the high energy nature of Will's attacks. He needed to separate and recoup.

Will jumped into the air and planted two kicks on Wade's forearm. Landing on one foot, the smaller agent pivoted and attempted to kick Wade in the midsection once more. But Wade had grown wary of this tactic and simply grabbed his opponent's foot, spinning him and causing Will to land hard on his back. Like a silverback gorilla, Wade raised both arms into the air and brought the undersides of his fists barreling towards Will's supine form. Will was faster, though, and back-somersaulted out of the way. The shockwave from the impact rippled against the concrete, terminating in the opposite wall.

Wasting no time, Wade turned to face the smaller agent and drove his fists into the ground in an alternating fashion, producing a number of shockwaves that traveled in a straight line and tossed anything that happened to be in the way like a rag doll. Will performed a series of front and back handsprings, dodging the sheer kinetic energy. A few shockwaves impacted the morgue drawers, and the bodies of the brutally murdered slipped out, horrified faces of a dead audience to the intensifying conflict.

Will flipped and dodged with ease, causing Wade to grow increasingly frustrated. "You always were annoying," the supergenius grunted as he abandoned the shockwave tactic and punched a hole in the wall next to where Will stood. "Like a fly that needs to be swatted." The shatter of concrete told him that he had missed his target once again.

"At least I worked hard to get here," Will countered, lighting up his fists and slashing. "You just rode Kim's coattails."

Wade blocked the strike easily. "Kim doesn't have coattails," he reminded the agent, bringing up his leg to block a mid-range kick. "And I did plenty of stuff on my own. Dr. Director was proud to recruit me." He lunged at Will, only to miss again as the metal panel on the wall dented under the sheer impact.

"Don't you get it?" Will taunted, spinning around and landing a kick in Wade's shoulder, which he used as leverage to dodge the larger man's next strike. "You were always a pawn. You never used your talents for yourself. Someone else was always taking advantage of you. First Kim, now Betty."

"Kim would never use me," Wade insisted as he swung heftily with a right hook, which Will easily ducked. "We were a team."

"Kim and Ron were a team," Will corrected as he came up from his crouch with a swift uppercut, staggering Wade backwards. "You were just the third wheel."

Wade's features tightened, and he grabbed Will by the throat, hoisting the smaller agent up in the air. "I was part of the team," he snarled. "I called in her rides, tracked down the villains, and got all the vital information she needed. Kim wouldn't have been able to do anything if it wasn't for me."

"Do you really think that mattered to her?" Will choked, unwilling to shut up. He hooked his left leg around the inside of Wade's elbow and pushed down, causing the supergenius to let go. Gripping his throat, he continued. "She took you for granted," he stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She always knew you had a crush on her. That's why she always knew you'd be there for her. She played you like a fiddle."

"Not true!" Wade yelled as he swung his fist, missing Will entirely and burying his hand several inches into the wall, causing cracks to run all the way up to the ceiling.

Will, meanwhile, had moved behind Wade, and, using the strength granted to him by the supersuit, kicked the much larger man into the wall. "Oh, it is true," he said solemnly. "Who was the first person she blamed after Ron died? After Shego, of course."

Wiping the blood away from his nose, Wade turned his concrete-powder covered face towards Will, who stood there with an arrogant smirk on his face. "It was a normal response," he insisted, grasping at straws. "People experiencing grief often lash out at those closest to them. I have a PhD in Psychology, in case you've forgotten."

Will chuckled. "Ah yes, your record-setting education. Graduated high school and college in only eight months. And yet you chose to waste it on performing autopsies. Rather fitting for you, actually. You never were much of a socialite. Tell me, how does it feel to have your only friend in the entire world blame you for the death of the boy you always envied for doing what you were too afraid to? I bet it hurt."

"Not as much as you're gonna be hurting!" Wade growled, springing to his feet and charging blindly at Will, allowing the smaller man to anger him to the point where he lost all focus.

Will simply smirked and leapt in the air, performing a front flip just as Wade passed under him and planted both feet firmly in the giant's upper back, turning his momentum against him and slamming the supergenius into the opposite wall. "Anger will only get you so far, Agent Load," Will taunted. "This is why you never made it to field agent."

'_He's right,_' Wade reluctantly admitted to himself. '_You're letting him distract you. Time to turn his own strategy against him_.' He stood to his feet with a newfound sense of purpose. "At least I was smart enough to listen to Kim. You nearly botched that joint mission with her, saying she was an 'amateur.' She bailed your ass out."

The smirk left Will's face. "She was an amateur. I was the professional. But now that she's under our control, she's no longer an amateur. She's a pawn, just like you."

"I don't know," Wade said as he and Will began to circle each other. "Sounds to me like Betty's got a new favorite."

Will stopped circling. His face tightened. "What did you say?"

Now it was Wade's turn to smirk. "You heard me. When Betty recruited Kim, you weren't her number one agent anymore. You were just another lackey. You think I was being used? Please. Betty doesn't give a fuck about any of us. We're all pawns to her. I think you're jealous."

"Me? Jealous of that… that amateur?" Will said with a look of shock on his face. "You wish. I'm still better than her. And I'm better than you!" With that, he lunged at Wade, fists ignited. The supergenius was ready, however, and delivered a crushing blow to Will's stomach, sending the smaller agent flying across the room.

"You sure about that?" Wade taunted, examining his fist. "Because it seems to me like you can dish it out, but you can't take it." Will growled as he stood to his feet with great effort. "How does it feel, knowing that you're not the teacher's pet anymore? I bet that hurts."

"She was just an amateur!" Will roared. "You're all amateurs!" He lit the stolen comet energy up to full power and leapt high in the air, intending to take out Wade once and for all.

"And you're a hack of a professional," Wade countered as he grabbed Will by the throat, then slammed him hard onto the concrete, knocking out the smaller agent instantly.

With Will Du defeated, Wade finally let himself relax. He glanced at the power readings on his suit. After such a battle, his power was too low to chance rescuing Kim. He sighed. This was going to require some serious planning. Dr. Director obviously knew he was a traitor by now. His only option was to escape. He eyed the launch tubes.

"I'll be back. You can count on it," he declared to Will's unconscious body before spitting on it and heading towards the launch tubes and freedom. In a softer tone, he added, "And I won't let anything happen to Kim. I guarantee it."

* * *

**Present**

"Mmm, that was nice." The redhead snuggles closer to her bedmate's naked form, finding warmth in her embrace. All that matters is Shego. They are the only two people in their world. Nothing else matters right now. For now, it's just them.

But reality is a bitch.

"Kim, we really need to get going," Shego whispers, snapping the redhead out of her daze. Kim gasps and realizes where she is.

"Shit!" she screams, tumbling to the floor and dragging the thin sheets with her.

Shego nonchalantly stands up and puts on her catsuit. Kim lets out a tiny whimper. "You okay, Kimmie?" Shego asks with genuine concern.

"No," Kim moans from the floor. "I think I hurt something."

"You mean someone hurt you," Shego corrects as she crouches next to the redhead's battered form. "And it was your idea to have sex _here_. I mean, couldn't we have waited until we were out of here?"

Kim shakes her head. "We're not going to make it anyway. I wanted to have one last moment with you before both of us died."

Shego scowls. "That doesn't sound like something the Kimmie I know would say. What happened to the girl who could do anything? The woman I fell in love with? The woman who wouldn't give up no matter what? What happened to her?"

"She's dead," comes a voice from the door. Shego knows who it is, but she looks up anyway.

"You," the green woman snarls.

"Yes, me," Betty chuckles. "Me, me, me. It always comes back to me, doesn't it? Whenever people have a problem, they always seem to blame it on either me or the organization I represent. It can get rather tiring."

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Shego snarls.

"Oh, I don't mind it a bit," Dr. Director replies with a hollow smile. "It lets me know I've been doing my job."

"I thought attention was the one thing secret agencies _didn't _want," Shego points out. "And the people hate you, just for the record."

"I know they hate me," the one-eyed woman says simply. "They hate you, too, you know. We're not all that different, you and I."

Shego scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Let me guess, you told the same thing to Kimmie here. Sorry, Doc, but we couldn't be any more different. And before you start any of your big speeches, let me just say that you can talk until you're as blue as Drakken, but it still won't accomplish a goddamn thing."

Dr. Director smiles. "You're learning," she says approvingly. "I'll spare you the lecture this time and just get down to business. Starting," She points to Kim, "with her."

"You won't take her again," Shego growls, holding her Princess protectively.

"Oh, but that's where you're mistaken, Shego," Dr. Director replies with that smug tone that suggests that she knows something her adversary doesn't. "I already have."

"Right," Shego scoffs. "Last I checked, she's in my arms, not yours."

"But her soul belongs to me," the one-eyed woman replies. "Look how she lies there, naked, unwilling to move. She's lost the will to escape. That behavior is taught, Shego. Your 'Princess' is completely and utterly _mine_."

"Not while I'm around," Shego growls, determined not to let Kim be taken ever again. "If you want her, you're gonna have to go through me."

Dr. Director smiles. "Very well." She snaps her fingers, bringing forth four guards. "Kill her, and bring Miss Possible to me," she orders.

"What's the matter, Betty?" Shego teases. Dr. Director blanches at the use of her first name. "Afraid to face me yourself?"

"No," Dr. Director insists. "Bored."

"That's gotta be the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard," Shego says smugly, lighting up her hands as she eyes the guards, who have activated their powers. On the far left is a mountain of a man, who has naturally received the blue glow. To his right, a smaller agent demonstrates his shrinking power. The third agent is about the same size as the second, and has been granted the red power. Finally, a female agent ignites her hands to match Shego's own glow. Shego narrows her eyes dangerously at the woman.

Dr. Director smiles. "Shego, I'd like you to meet an example of the many squads that I've assigned. This is Team Alpha. Their names are, from left to right, Agent Hulk," She points to the man with the blue glow. "Agent Mouse," She indicates the agent with the purple glow, who waves. "Agent Walsh," she continues, pointing to the agent with the red glow. "And last but not least, Agent Sherman." The woman with the green glow cracks a devilish smile.

"So you want me to face your 'dream team?'" Shego deadpans. "Why are villains always so proud of their henchman? I mean, I know _I_ deserved it, but these idiots look like they stepped out of some weird knockoff of _Power Rangers_."

Agent Hulk's face tightens. "You won't be smilin' so much when we're done with you, missy," he growls.

"'Missy?'" Shego laughs. "Geez, at least your boss provides good banter. You _do _remind me of Hego."

"We should have just killed her," Agent Sherman says angrily to Dr. Director, who barely registers the remark. "Why did we keep her alive?"

"Not to sound ungrateful," Shego says sarcastically, "But why exactly _am_ I alive?"

Betty chuckles. "You amuse me, Shego. I didn't kill you because you were worth more alive. A test of sorts for Agent Load. I wanted to see if he could be trusted. Thanks to you, he failed miserably, and I'm minus one saboteur. Of course, now you've outlived your purpose, and you must die." She signals her agents to move in on the green woman.

"Oh, so that's how we're gonna play, huh?" Shego says as she eyes her four opponents like prey. "Okay, I'm game!" She flares up her hands and leaps at Agent Hulk. The giant tries to grab her, but Shego is too fast, landing a solid kick on the agent's face and using it as a springboard to launch herself halfway across the cell. Agent Hulk barely registers the hit, turning around and charging blindly. The other agents follow his lead.

Shego stands with her hand on her hip, smug and defiant. She smirks as Agent Hulk draws back his fist, ready to pummel her. At the last second, she grabs the fist and, in a classic judo move, flips him over her head and _through_ the Plexiglas, knocking the giant out cold. '_One down,_' she tallies in her mind.

"Who's next?" she challenges. Agent Mouse charges at her, expecting her to punch high, enabling him to easily shrink and duck the attack. But she stands firm. Confused, the agent continues his charge. He readies himself for the coming blow, but Shego never even budges. He doesn't realize until he's two feet away from the green woman that this is a trap. He suddenly finds himself sideways on the floor, clutching his scrotum. With a swift kick to the jaw, he is knocked unconscious. '_Two,_' Shego counts silently.

"How 'bout you, clonie?" Shego taunts, noting the fear etched on Agent Walsh's face. Her smile is devilish. Sensing that the agent will not repeat the same mistake as his comrades, Shego decides to try a ranged attack and hits him square in the chest with a plasma bolt, sending him crashing into the opposite wall. '_That's three,_' she counts to herself. '_I love it when they hesitate._'

Shego turns to face Agent Sherman. "Please, you think I didn't learn how to defeat my brothers growing up? And I know my powers better than anybody, copycat," she says icily. "You'd better run home, little girl." The look of confidence on Agent Sherman's face that was there at the start of the fight has disappeared, a trembling visage in its place. Shego can sense that her opponent is afraid. Good.

Steeling herself, Agent Sherman leaps high into the air, spinning with her arms outstretched, hands ignited. Shego easily dodges the windmill maneuver, responding with a slash of her own that catches Agent Sherman across her back, leaving a deep gash that is quickly concealed by the regenerating fabric. Agent Sherman howls in pain and drops to the floor, where a kick across the face knocks her unconscious as well. Shego turns to Dr. Director and smirks.

"You can give your agents the powers of a god, and they'll still be the same incompetent fools I've always beaten," Shego announces smugly. "You should train 'em better."

Dr. Director chuckles. "That was just a prototype team. Still in training. It appears I have quite a bit more work to do before they're ready for battle." She narrows her eye at Shego. "However, _I'm_ still good enough to beat you."

Shego drops into a fighting stance. "Bring it on, bitch."

* * *

**Two Weeks Ago**

"Are you ready to talk, Shego?"

The green woman shook her head. Anne sighed.

"Shego, you haven't said more than a few words to me in over two weeks. I'm not even going to bother asking you if everything's alright because I know it's not. What happened in your dream?"

'_Damn, are all Possibles this stubborn? I. Don't. Want. To. Tell. You. Get it?_'

"Shego, you're going to have to talk about it sooner or later. You can't keep it all bottled up. Kim needs you."

'_Of course you don't. How could you? You can't read my mind_.'

Shego, I know your dream is troubling you, but I'm here to help you. Please, Shego, talk to me." Dr. Possible had sat down and was staring into the green eyes of her daughter's lover. Shego looked away.

"I guess I was wrong about you, then," Anne continued. "You don't really love my daughter at all."

Instead of snapping, Shego looked at her doctor calmly and spoke. "Do you really mean that, or are you just using reverse psychology to try and get me to talk?"

Anne smiled. "The second one. I don't doubt for a second that you love my daughter. I just said that to get your attention. What's bothering you, Shego?"

The green woman chuckled bitterly. "What's bothering me? You really wanna know?" Anne nodded. "What's bothering me is that two whole weeks have gone by and I'm still no closer to getting Kimmie back. My powers have recovered, sure, but for some reason I'm still here, unable to reach out and save her."

Dr. Possible said nothing as Shego looked like she was about to continue.

"That's what my dream was about," Shego expressed solemnly, not looking at the doctor. "My complete and utter inability to do the one thing that would bring me a shred of happiness. And the reason I can't do it is because I'm too scared." She sighed.

Anne still said nothing, allowing Shego to discover this on her own.

"Every time I do reach out, something comes along to snatch it away," Shego said coldly, as though she had given in to her depression. "I may not be the happiest person in the world keeping to myself, but at least that way other people don't get hurt. Kimmie would have never gotten into this situation if I hadn't reached out."

Now Dr. Possible decided it was time to speak. "You're right about that last part," she said. "But not in the way you seem to have meant it. Kimmie would have stayed an empty shell if it weren't for you, Shego. You came along and broke the spell Betty had her under. You saved her."

"And look where it got me," Shego countered. "No good deed goes unpunished, Doc. That's what I've always believed. The universe just wants to fuck with my head. I can't get too close to people or they either end up dying or they get captured and brainwashed. I'm cursed, Doc. I've got too much bad Karma associated with me because of the things I've done. I'm a bad influence on everyone I meet."

Anne nodded solemnly. "That's one way to look at it. But think of it this way: did you force Kim to be with you?"

Shego narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Don't even start, Doc. I know what you're doing, and it's not gonna work."

"Just answer the question."

"No, I didn't," Shego growled. "Not even after I tried to force her to leave. Now I see where she gets her stubbornness."

Anne smiled. "Like mother like daughter." Her face turned serious. "So answer me, Shego. If it was her choice to be with you, were you really responsible?"

Shego sighed. "It's not that simple," she replied, dipping her head. "I gave in. I didn't push hard enough to keep her away from me. There are people after me, Doc, and I dragged Kimmie into it. I let the fact that someone loved me blind me to the fact that it could never last with as many enemies as I have."

"Kim knew that," Dr. Possible insisted. I know Kimmie. She isn't naïve enough not to know that there are dangers involved in what both of you do. It was her choice to make."

"So it was her fault?" Shego countered. "That doesn't make me feel any better."

"I never said it was her fault," Anne pointed out. "I simply said it wasn't yours."

"But you used Kimmie to prove it," Shego replied.

The red-haired doctor sighed in frustration and looked Shego square in the eyes. "A lot of people come to me expecting me to make them feel better. They think that just because I'm a doctor, I have a miracle cure for everything. I'm an Attending Physician as well as a Brain Surgeon, Shego. I have a lot of patients. But do you know what I say to the ones who expect me to magically make them feel better?"

Shego just stared.

"I tell them I'm a doctor, not a pharmacist. My job is to heal by fixing or removing the source of the pain, not sugarcoating everything so the patient doesn't feel it. Yes, we do have pain killers, sedatives and anesthesia, but those are just to keep the patient going long enough for me to figure out what's wrong."

Shego remained silent.

"Did you know that sometimes, to fix a broken bone, we have to break it again?" Dr. Possible continued. "Sometimes the only way to deal with your problems is to face them head on. That includes doing something to rescue my daughter instead of sitting here feeling sorry for yourself."

"Yeah, well in case you didn't notice, I don't even remember how I got here!" Shego reminded Dr. Possible. "I have no idea where GJ is, or how to get there."

"I do." The voice came from the door. Both women turned their heads and saw a large black man appear seemingly out of midair. His clothes were torn, and he looked as though he'd just been in a fight with a grizzly—and lost. He was leaning against the doorframe.

"Wade?" Dr. Possible balked. "How did you get in here?"

"Betty found out I helped Shego to escape," the supergenius panted. "I barely made it over here."

"Wade, stay right there," Dr. Possible commanded. "Nurse!"

A woman in pink scrubs came running into the room. "Yes, Dr. Possible?"

"Get this young man admitted right away and get his wounds treated in the ER," she ordered, indicating Wade.

"I'm fine, really," Wade insisted in a suddenly weaker voice as he clutched his chest. "Just a couple of flesh wounds."

"No you're not," Dr. Possible replied. "You look like you're nursing a couple broken ribs, and from the sound of your voice you may have punctured a lung." She turned to the nurse. "Get him down to the ER, stat!"

"Right this way, sir," the nurse said, but Wade refused to move. "Shego, I need to tell you something."

"It can wait," Dr. Possible insisted. "You could be bleeding internally."

"No!" Shego screamed. "What do you need to tell me?"

"Wade, please!" Anne urged. "Get your wounds treated and then you can talk to Shego!"

"What did you need to tell me?" Shego yelled at the young supergenius, who was rapidly losing the ability to stand.

"K-Kim's… in trouble," he managed.

"Doy, we knew that already! Shego screamed. "What else?"

"Shego, he's having trouble breathing!" Dr. Possible shouted. "Wait until after he's stable!"

"No," Wade continued. "I might not make it." He turned to Shego. "After Betty saw that I was helping Kim, she swore that she'd do even worse things to her, just to get back at me—and you."

"What kind of things?" Shego questioned.

"Shego, Wade, please!" Dr. Possible was practically begging by now. "Wait until after we get him stabilized!"

Wade ignored her. "I-I don't know. But the way she said it didn't sound good. We have to sa—" He collapsed, unconscious.

"Damn it!" Dr. Possible shouted, pressing the crash button, which brought every available doctor and nurse in the area running. She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off Wade's shirt. "Starting CPR!"

* * *

_Sorry to cut it there, but I need enough material for the final chapter. Shego's fight with Betty, as well as Wade's fate, will be determined in the next chapter. Please read and review. No flames, please._

**beeftony**


End file.
